Why Peyton Manning Made a Mistake But the Denver Broncos Didn’t.

We have just witnessed the biggest Free Agent singing in NFL history and it will surely impact the entire NFL.  For two weeks now I have been thinking of doing a piece on the Peyton Manning situation. Now that he has finally made his decision I have decided to put fingers to keyboard and share my thoughts. In my opinion there are two major discussion points surrounding “The Decision” of 2012: Peyton’s decision and the genius play of the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos

I am an optimistic person so let us begin with the winners of the situation; the Denver Broncos. John Elway, John Fox and every executive involved in the acquiring of Peyton Manning should receive an award. This in my opinion has to be one of the greatest executive decisions in NFL history. Whatever it took for John Elway and the executives to convince Peyton to head to Mile-High Stadium, it was worth it. Despite a .500 record and a divisional round playoff win, the Broncos football team was in quite an extraordinary situation.  The team is young and talented but definitely has its holes. A fantastic, young, and energetic defensive line highlights a team that can run the football and attack the Quarterback. Young yet unproven receivers, a questionable secondary and the biggest question mark at Quarterback ever had Broncos fans excited, confused and worried at the same time. With the acquisition of Peyton Manning, the Broncos are instantly favorites to win the division and be a consistent playoff team for the next few years. It appears that there is no health questions surrounding Manning’s neck because it would appear these teams all wanted Manning, without any regard for health concerns. In my opinion, Manning is back and will play at an extremely high level. Manning brings a brilliant offensive mind to Denver where Fox can focus on making that good defense into a great defense. Whether it was the relationship with Elway or just the mutual respect, Manning was drawn to play in the same environment that the legend Elway was successful in. The Broncos are instantly better in so many ways. Erik Decker and Damarius Thomas are instant stars at wide receiver. Decker who is a good slot receiver, will thrive in the Manning short pass offense. The Denver running game is very good with Willis McGahee and that offensive line. The Broncos are sure to add another back in the offseason and with the threat of Manning at QB, as opposed to Tebow, the running game will be all the more dangerous. Broncos fans, just for a second imagine that defenses don’t expect the run every single play; yes, it will be that amazing. The defense was great at times last year but overall is a solid defense that is just overworked. With Tebow, the defense found itself on the field a majority of the game after more 3 and outs that I can count. Any defense with Manning at the helm is instantly better just because they are not as tired. Manning eats up clock, goes on long drives, and keeps his offense on the field. Broncos fans, close your eyes again and just imagine Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller chasing down opposing QB’s when they are not tired; yes, it will be that good. But all the aforementioned reasons why the move was amazing for the Broncos fail in comparison to one of the greatest moves ever performed on the management side in the NFL.  John Elway and the Broncos executives have miraculously found a way to get rid of and replace Tim Tebow without one word of complaint. For those of you who don’t understand how big this is understand one thing. Tim Tebow was a god, a savior in Denver. Tebow owned the city and was a sign of hope for all who lived there. Unable to complete simple passes, Tebow earned the love of the city which through complaints was able to boot their starting QB for the former Heisman winner. So here was the question Elway and his buddies were faced with. How do you get rid of and replace a heroic, mythical, and revered fan favorite without causing a riot and uproar? Oh, you simply acquire one of the greatest, top 5, most brilliant minded Quarterbacks of all time. Do you not understand how amazing this was. The Broncos were stuck, they had no way out of the Tebow situation and had no choice but to stick with the poor throwing yet heroic play of the run-happy QB.  If you told me a few months ago that you can replace Tebow and there would not be one complaint I would have thought you are crazy. But I was proven wrong; the Broncos have replaced the second-most beloved QB in the league today with the even most loved QB in the league. A city which booted its starting QB and suffered through record-low setting QB performances has been rewarded with the model of QB consistency. Though there are questions as to his post season record, Manning is undoubtedly the greatest regular season QB of all time (just check his regular season record) and will make the Broncos a 10 win team. Just for your records, Peyton Manning ranks 3^rd all-time in completions (4,682, passing yards (54,828), passing TD’s (399), & passing yards per game (263.6). “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist.” In this case, the greatest trick the Broncos ever pulled was convincing the Denver world that Tebow never existed. They did this all by adding #18.

Manning

In my eyes there is a second discussion point and that is whether Denver was the right fit for Manning. Does Manning suit the Broncos? Yes. Do the Broncos suit Manning? Maybe. I believe that Peyton chose the safe place to play. Denver is an amazing city but it’s a controlled environment, similar to that of Indianapolis. Manning will have full control over his offense, similar to Indianapolis. Manning now has an owner and team of executives who love him and will do everything to make him happy, similar to Indianapolis. Manning will have to take a team and a city on his shoulders and try to make good players great, similar to Indianapolis. The problem is that Denver is too similar to Indianapolis. I understand there is value to being in a place that is comfortable and that will allow one to feel at home. There is a huge benefit to only worrying about football while making other issues disappear. But in my humble opinion, given everything surrounding the situation and Manning’s age, I think Manning took an easy rode out. The place Manning should have landed was in the San Francisco bay. The 49ers are a very solid and deep team with amazing tools in every position. Without hating on Alex Smith too much, the team made it to within 2 punt fumbles of going to the Super Bowl with an average QB. The team is stacked with one of if not the best defense in football, solid running game with Gore, fantastic TE with Vernon Davis, and now a solid young to veteran receiving core of Crabtree, Moss, and Manningham. From a football perspective, the 49ers were the best choice for Manning while the Broncos were in fact the worst. Add in the fact that the 49ers play in one of the two worst divisions in football and Manning’s decision is a little puzzling. Obviously a major reason deterring Manning from the 49ers would be the pressure. The 49ers are ready to win it all here and now and the addition of Manning would have made them favorites to win it all, anything less would be a major disappointment. Manning has high expectations in Denver but not as high as they would have been on the California coast. Additionally, I understand Harbough is a tough nosed guy who likes to be involved in every facet of the game but I also think Harbough is a smart coach who will bow to Manning’s skill, knowledge and genius. Manning wants to be the man and I think the thought of having such a dominant personality at coach scared him away from making the smart football decision. I won’t go into the weather factor being that Manning played his entire career in a dome but just think about what San Fran is like in December and what Denver is like in December.

In conclusion, the NFL landscape drastically changed this week and out came but winners and losers. Seattle and Denver came out on top while teams like Miami, San Francisco, Arizona and Tennessee were left wondering what could have been. I love Peyton Manning. You will never find a bigger Manning fan in the world. I have often said I think he is the greatest QB I have ever seen play but I do feel like he made the wrong choice. I have often heard others say John Elway was the best QB they have ever seen. While I don’t fully agree with that, I can tell you he may just be one of the best NFL executives I have ever seen. I hope Manning goes and wins three Super Bowls, quiets the conversations between him and his brother, wins another MVP or two, and breaks every one of Farve’s records; I just wish he would have done it in a San Francisco uniform. 

Why I Dominated Round One of the Hollywood Bracket.

Round One of the Colin Cowherd’s Hollywood Bracket is over and the results are in. Second round voting is now underway. Here is how I fared in the first round:

Record: 30-2

Upset Picks: 5-2

Best Picks:

·         Will Ferrell (11) over Jodi Foster (6)

·         Adam Sandler (12) over Glen Close (6)

·         Ed Norton (10) over Daniel Day Lewis (7)

Worst Picks:

·         Stallone (12) lost to Douglas (5)

·         Robbins (6) lost to Costner (11)

Here are my second round picks.

Brando Region

·         While we all like a great villain (as is the case with Hannibal Lecter), we love our heroes more and Tom Hanks is one of our heroes. The all American actor is simply too good to lose this early. The 8^th seeded Hopkins just doesn’t have the resume or the grandeur that Hanks has. Wilson and his buddy move into the sweet 16.

o   Winner: Hanks

·         This 4-5 matchup is a close one. Douglas (5) dominated the 80-90s and still has a strong name out there (the recent Wall Street revival helps). But Cruise(4) is Cruise and has helped himself in the last few years. Let’s be honest, we all kind of want to be Ethan Hunt a little bit. Cruise has won over enough men recently to earn the win but I expect a close one.

o   Winner: Cruise

·         This 3-6 matchup feels like it should be reversed. Hoffman (3) is a classic and will go down as a great but he is way past his prime. How many of us were alive when Tootsie and Rain Man came out? Though the lower seed, Samuel L. Jackson (6) is one of the most recognizable actors in the world and especially popular in the groups voting on this bracket. With the Avengers coming out this summer, Jackson is sure to win at the box office and I’m going to predict he wins with an upset here as well; albeit a close one.

o   Winner: Jackson

·         After his nice victory in the first round Smith (7) ran into a bad draw here. Leo as we know is “king of the world” and I think he will make the Sweet 16. Smith seems to have lost his focus over the last few years while paying some attention to his childrens’ career. No one without a strong resume and current career is going to knock off King Leo.

o   Winner: DiCaprio

Wayne Region

·         This is a matchup of two blockbuster actors. Washington (1) and Willis (8) have dominated the box office over the last few decades. The two are legitimate stars who will no doubt get a ton of support. In the end, I think that Denzel has too many fans and Willis has become more of a Cameo guy while Washington still headlines. Washington is not Fallen yet.

o   Winner: Washington

·         This 4 (Damon) vs 12 (Sandler) matchup is a tough one for me. Part of me expects Sandler to go deep in this tourney despite his low seeding because you simply Don’t Mess with the Zohan but Damon has an incredible following and has become a true franchise actor. Though Sandler is one of the funniest ever, his movies have bombed in recent years. Just like Damon may have been destined to become President, he is destined to make the Sweet 16.

o   Winner: Damon

·         The 3 (Depp) vs 6 (Spacey) should be a close one. Spacey has some major iconic roles under his belt but really has not starred in anything in years. Depp is strange yet incredibly entertaining and with the Pirates Franchise as well as many cult classics, Depp is the here and now. He will win this round, here and now.

o   Winner: Depp

·         To round out this part of the bracket, we have a slaughter on our hands. De Niro could have easily been a #1 seed and Malkovich (10) is no match for the Deer Hunter. Malkovich is very talented but even KGB lost. I would be shocked if KGB got 10% of votes.

o   Winner: De Niro

Newman Region

·         I was surprised that Bacon (9) was even in the tournament but a matchup with Jack (1) should not even voted on. This will be an absolute blowout.  I just watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I would have to be crazy to pick Bacon.

o   Winner: Nicholson.

·         A few years ago this Pitt(4) vs Roberts (5) would have been a lot closer but Pitt is still a star and Roberts is more of a legend. Pitt will come on top in this battle. Additionally, this has not been the year of women in the bracket. Pitt may even be prettier. I’m going with Moneyball.

o   Winner: Pitt

·         Given the right matchup, Costner (11) could have pulled out a few upsets given his sports movies credits if not for his matchup against Freeman (3). Freeman ranked #3 could eventually make the final four with such a strong resume. The greatest Narrator of all time may lose eventually but not yet, not yet.

o   Winner: Freeman

Stewart Region

·         I actually think the following matchup will be closer than it appears on paper. I think that Norton (10) is the black horse of the tourney and does stand a chance against Clooney (2). Though in the end of the day I do think the award winning Clooney will win out; but don’t be shocked if there is an upset here.

o   Winner: Clooney

·         Wahlberg (8) may be able to kick my tush, but he stands no chance against Streep. The queen of film can even take on the biggest and baddest tough guy in Hollywood. We could see our first #1 seed go down here in an upset but Streep is still pounding out films and yes they are usually higher quality than Wahlbergs.

o   Winner: Streep

·         Gladiator is one of my favorite films of all time and I always love Russell Crowe (5) but here he faces The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Eastwood may have ended one of the greatest acting careers ever but he is still one of the best directors out there. Eastwood is a beast and a fan favorite among our voters. Eastwood wins this.

o   Winner: Eastwood

·         It’s tough to go against Indiana Jones (3) in any matchup but just looking at Ferrell (11) makes me laugh and I have to go with the funny man. Ferrell’s gags sometimes get old but for some reason I still laugh every time. I am going with the upset in this one.

o   Winner: Ferrell

·         Gene Hackman (7) has never been my favorite actor and I am happy to see his run come to an end. Pacino is an icon and should have an easy run into the Sweet 16.  Pacino is one of the best actors of our generation and should not have any problems with Hackman, despite his Hoosiers fame.

o   Winner: Pacino

Why You Missed the Most Exciting Moment in TV History.

Before I begin I want to apologize for anyone who thinks this blog is utterly ridiculous. But you see, sometimes when you look back at your own personal experiences there are those few special moments that stick out for you. For me the following was one of the most exciting and fun evenings I had in college.

It was a Monday in the Spring of 2008. As I left my last class at around 630 I prepared for what had become my usual Monday night routine. I made my way to Golan Heights, the disgustingly dirty yet amazingly delicious restaurant near Yeshiva.  I ordered the classic Schwarma Lafa with Chumus and Chips and proceeded to make my way to Apartment #3G. It was here that three of my best friends, Max Klein, Ari Schwartz and Daniel Tennenbaum lived. You see, I had been living in the dorms at the time and without a TV I quickly began utilizing my friends who lived in the apartments. It had become tradition at this point that me and my friends would get together every Monday night and watch our slew of shows as well as any Ranger game that may be on at the time. We had the evenings down to a science and even calculated the exact times that the periods of the Ranger game would typically start and end. We were even able to squeeze a game of NHL on Xbox in between the periods. Our Monday nights usually consisted of DVRing our favorite shows and spending the night ripping on each other while enjoying the best that TV had to offer. Theses nights usually consisted of watching Chuck, Heroes and perhaps an episode of How I Met Your Mother. I have to say I never thought I would so much look forward to the weekend ending and Monday night coming.

But all those fun and entertaining nights are quite mediocre in comparison to that magical Monday night at the end of April. You see on this night the people in that apartment witnessed, in our minds, the greatest and most exciting moment in TV history. After an exciting episode of Heroes, those of us in that apartment were introduced to the “Deal Wheel” or as we now call it, “The Wheel of Greatness”. As our show ended we began flipping through the channels to perhaps see if there was anything else to watch when we came across Deal Or No Deal. Now we had all see this show before but there was something new to the show, “The Deal Wheel”.  Essentially, the Deal Wheel is a large wheel that doubles, triples or halves a contestant’s winnings. Once a contestant has made his deal, he/she would drop a ball down a huge ramp, looking much like a Plinko board, before it hits the wheel, essentially a roulette wheel.  The spaces alternate “1/2″ or “x2″.  Five of the “x2″ spaces are “x3″, meaning your money is tripled.  You only risk half of your money to potentially triple it, or at least double it in a 50/50 chance.  What is different in this game from an average Plinko board is that the wheel continues to spin even after the ball has settled in a slot, thus thrusting the ball in and out slots as the contestant loses their mind. 

Now let me introduce you to Efren Afante. Efren, born in Oklahoma City in 1969 was a contestant on the show. We turned to the show and this is what we saw happen to Efren.

With three cases left, Efren still had the million and the 750K cases in play. He then turned down the bankers offer of $493K and proceeded to open the million dollar case next. With the banker in control the offer dropped by almost half to $296K. Efren accepted the offer and took that fateful walk to the “Wheel of Greatness”. As Efron dropped the ball the world stood still and with the crowd roaring the ball dropped hitting the pegs along the way until it dropped right into the 3X slot. But then with the Wheel turning it fell out in the ½ spot, then the 2X spot, then the 3X, then the ½, then the 3X, then the ½, then the 2X before finally tipping out the last second and falling into the ½ spot.

With every turn of the wheel the room exploded in excitement and anticipation.  The roller coaster of emotions watching that ball move from slot to slot was a sight to be seen. While those of  you reading this who were not there, you may think we are crazy but to those of us in that apartment, that night, this was the most exciting moment in TV history.

Why you should vote for the Hollywood Bracket.

Collin Cowherd draws mixed reviews from his listeners for his sports broadcasting. But one thing that everybody agrees on is that Colin’s Hollywood Bracket is amazing. As part of his daily radio show The Herd on ESPN Radio, Colin releases a 64 “team” tournament that runs along the same timeline as the NCAA tournament. Essentially, the Hollywood Bracket is a voting competition with 64 Hollywood actors pitted up against each other as fans vote for the best actor. Each year Colin chooses a different area or topic in Hollywood and he performs this annual tournament to determine the best of the best. This year, The Kolb Review will partake in the tournament. I will be providing my picks for the tournament and some interesting matchups to look out for.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/bracket?id=7619043 Vote Now!!!!
Here are my brackets.

Marlon Brando Region

• The #1 seed in the will run away with this matchup. While Buscemi may be a fan favorite and has some interesting roles under his belt, the talented actor got a bad draw here. He stands no chance against the all-American Hanks, who with his numerous Oscars is a round 1 lock.
o Winner: Hanks

• The 8-9 matchup is not as close as it would appear. Harris is a well established actor whose movies are some the best ever but its tough going up against Hannibal Lecter. Though on paper this matchup should be close, I would never bet against someone that will eat your face off.
o Winner: Hopkins

• Rocky! Yes Michael Douglas is not facing Stallone, he is facing Rocky. I am a sucker for 5-12 upsets and this will be my first of the tournament. Douglas is an icon with crazy hits like Wall Street, Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction. But if Ivan Drago fell to The Italian Stallion, then Gordon Gekko won’t land a punch. I’m picking the Champ in an upset.
o Winner: Stallone

• If this were fifteen years ago, Moore may stand a chance but this is 2012, Cruise is King. Moore’s name is more often mentioned for her being Ashton Kutcher’s ex than her acting. Moore is iconic and I will never forget the day I saw her kick butt in G.I. Jane; but against Cruise, this is mission impossible. Cruise has reestablished himself over the last few years with a hysterical role in Tropic Thunder and the most recent installment of the MI franchise. Cruise wins this one running.
o Winner: Cruise

• In the 6-11 match, two icons of the 90’s faceoff. Pesci is a classic and there is nothing that makes me sadder to pick against the Goodfellas star but I don’t think he has enough support to top Jackson. I kind of feel that Jackson is either in every amazing or horrible movie made. But his credentials are just too much for Pesci. Sorry Cousin Vinny, but Marisa Tomei won’t get you out of the first round.
o Winner: Jackson

• The 3-14 matchup might as well be 1-100. Dustin Hoffman will not lose to Angela Basset. Despite a solid career including Boyz n the Hood, Basset can’t compete with the Rain Man. He counted toothpicks in a matter of seconds, I think he can handle the first round.
o Winner: Hoffman

• The most intriguing matchup has to be the 7-10 between the Men in Black, Smith and Jones. Tommy Lee has a fantastic career that covers many Genres. He does have some connection with today’s audience which should earn him some votes. Ultimately I don’t think it will be enough against the Fresh Prince. Smith has become the consummate movie star who has even bred with another star to give birth to two more. Smith is a Hollywood big shot and should be able to take down his co-star in this round one matchup but don’t be shocked if there is an upset here.
o Winner: Smith

• 2-15 shouldn’t have even been listed. Paltrow got a bad break being paired up against Leo. Although I don’t think anyone really minds being paired with Leo. In my opinion the greatest actor ever to not win an Oscar, DiCaprio will go deep in the tourney. Its shocking he wasn’t a #1 seed. I don’t think Shakspeare can write any other ending than Leo dominating this matchup.
o Winner: DiCaprio

John Wayne Region

• This is another #1 that won’t be upset in the first round. Bardem has a 1-2 fantastic roles in his career. Washington has a fantastic career. This is not even a contest. Bardem may as well be going up against the American Gangster himself. The star of No Country For Old Men is very good, but Oscar winner Denzel is Unstoppable.
o Winner: Denzel

• In one of three 50/50 matchups, this 8-9 matchup is so close. The king of action Willis faces off against the king of comedy Carrey. I honestly think that Carrey could have pulled off an upset or two in this tourney but being that the audience is a bunch of men; I just don’t see John McClain losing to anyone in the first round. Whenever I picture this matchup I see John McClain kicking Ace Ventura’s A**. For that reason alone, I am going with Willis.
o Winner: Willis

• Here we go again. In another 5-12 upset, I am going with the king of stupid comedies, Adam Sandler. Glen Close is a fantastic actress with 6 Oscar noms, Fatal Attraction and even a successful TV career but she got a tough draw against Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. If that little boy could find his puppy who ran away, Sandler can pull off this upset. Gippidy Goppidy!!
o Winner: Sandler

• In the 4-13 matchup, I think beauty falls a little short. Theron is beautiful and very talented. She has played a wide variety of characters and is quite popular. Unfortunately, she is not as popular or well documented as Damon. With franchises under his belt, Mr. Bourne wins over the guys with force and the girls with that smile and laugh. Too much Bourne, Damon in a landslide.
o Winner: Damon

• I don’t understand how Kevin Spacey is a 6 seed but Del Toro stands no chance. The star of American Beauty and Se7en is way to talented and documented to lose to the talented yet unproven Del Toro. We may not have been able to see the ending of The Usual Suspects coming, but we defiantly see this romping in the making.
o Winner: Spacey

• I almost laughed at this 3-14 matchup. 15 years ago this would have gone differently but after Cage has ruined his reputation with bad films while trying to pay off his debts to the IRS, Depp has become of the most successful Hollywood actors. Depp is fabulous in his roles and though he often plays very strange characters, I don’t expect a strange outcome in this matchup. Sorry Cage, Captain Jack wins this one.
o Winner: Depp

• This is a very interesting 7-10 matchup. Sean Penn and John Malkovich are in a similar boat. Both are proven actors, award winners and yet both are somewhat always behind the scenes and out of the tabloids. My initial reaction was to pick Penn but I think people love Malkovich and I’m going with the Upset. I just wouldn’t bet against Teddy KGB, he has “alligator blood”.
o Winner: Malkovich

• I feel bad for Stiller. Stiller is as funny as they come and one of my favorite actors. Just like his character was unfortunate to have Jack as his father-in-law, Stiller unfortunately has been pared with De Niro. De Niro is De Niro, no more else is needed. Part of me wanted to go with the upset but I just didn’t want to get yelled out by Master Chief Billy Sunday. De Niro wins easily, sorry Zoolander.
o Winner De Niro

Paul Newman Bracket

• This will be the biggest first round blowout there is. Though Cruz is beautiful, Jack Nicholson is career long Hollywood big shot. Though not dominating the theaters of late, Jack is household name and I just don’t see Cruz’s beauty beating out that smile. He may win get 100% of the vote here.
o Winner: Nicholson

• I don’t like this matchup at 8-9. One of the weaker pairings could be one of the closest. Sheen is old and less popular than both his sons while Bacon is just happy to be dancing (pun intended). I don’t really have much differentiating these two for me. Since Bacon is more my generation and I love him in those commercials. I’m calling Bacon in a close one.
o Winner: Bacon

• I don’t see this 5-12 matchup as another upset. Honestly I don’t really see Garcia in the tourney but he won an automatic bid from the Slicked Haired Conference. Roberts has drifted since her marriage to Oscar but the Pretty Woman star is still just that, a star. She wins this easily.
o Winner: Roberts

• The bracket makers are mean. Pitt vs Jolie at 4-13 is cruel. While I have always had a crush on Jolie, her acting career has stalled a little bit while Pitt just gets better and better. Though some blockbusters thrown in, Pitt is a good actor with a good resume. If there was any doubt before, Moneyball has cemented his spot in Hollywood. Pitt takes this one in the domestic dispute matchup and it’s not even close.
o Winner: Pitt

• At 6-11 we have the Bull Durham co-stars; Robbins and Costner. Though Waterworld flopped, Costner has a very good career particularly in the sports world. Field of Dreams, the Love of the Game and Bull Durham are absolute classics but if Andy Dufrein can escape from Shawshank Prison, he can escape this first round matchup. It may be close than you think but I see Robbins pulling it out.
o Winner Robbins

• I don’t really understand how Bridges received such a low bid. The Dude at 14 must have cried when he saw his first round matchup. Morgan Freeman is the ageless Hollywood wonder. I swear I don’t think he looks any different than his first role. Freeman could win this matchup on his movie narrations alone. Thankfully he has an acting career as well. Freeman is headed deep into the tourney and it starts with a round 1 win.
o Winner: Freeman

• This is a very interesting matchup. Daniel Day Lewis (7) and Ed Norton (10) are both very intriguing stars and award winners yet neither one is a box office dominating star. This is particularly tough for me since they are two of my favorite actors. Though no one immerses himself more into his roles than Daniel Day (Daniel Plainview and Abraham Lincoln), I think Norton and his Rounder’s fans will pull this one out. If Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting is reading this, please don’t kill me.
o Winner: Norton

• I had tears of laughter the first time I saw Rush Hour. Unfortunately, that is where Jackie Chan’s resume stops. He stands no shot vs Hollywood’s pretty boy Clooney. Clooney has earned my respect as an actor with The Descendants and will easily earn a first round win.
o Winner: Clooney

Jimmy Stewart Bracket

• There are very actors as fun as Matthew McConaughey, he just looks like he is always so happy to be a star. Unfortunately, those abs of his can even touch Hollywood’s golden girl Meryl Streep. Widely considered the greatest actress alive, Streep could walk to the elite 8 this year. She won her Oscar and may just win this tourney.
o Winner: Streep

• This is an interesting 8-9 matchup. Wahlberg doesn’t get the best reviews for his acting but he is a legit movie star. Baldwin is a great actor but better known for TV than movies. While the voting may be close with Baldwin on TV every week, Wahlberg has too much chops to lose this one and additionally, he is a bad-a**, I don’t want to pick against him.
o Winner: Wahlberg

• Part of me was fearing another 5-12 upset but after thinking about it. Maximus Decimus Meridius will live on to fight another day. Steve Martin is a fan favorite in Hollywood but his humor and 12 children won’t be enough to top the very talented and Oscar winning Gladiator. If he can take down Denzel, he can handle the Father of the Bride.
o Winner: Crowe

• The 4-13 matchup is by far the hardest one I had to make. I love Clint Eastwood, both as an actor and perhaps even more as a director. In the first round he faces Liam Neeson, yes the Liam Neeson who fights gangsters and wolfs with his bear hands. Though Neeson has begun to collect a Chuck Norris-like fan base, The career of Eastwood must propel him to the top in this matchup. Speaking of which, some may ask why Chuck Norris is not in this tournament? That’s a stupid question because Chuck Norris is this tournament.
o Winner: Eastwood

• If Robert Goulet was alive he would laugh at this matchup. Life long star, Foster (6) seems like a shoe in against funny man Ferrell (11), unfortunately, Ferrell is actually Ron Burgendy, Ricky Bobby and Chazz Michael Michaels all in one. Ferrell makes people laugh but will make Foster cry here as he pulls off the upset.
o Winner: Ferrell

• With a low seeding of 14, Portman got a rough first round draw, Indiana Jones. Ford and that deep voice will always win over the fans and will knock off this Princess Ballet dancer in the first round. They each had their career defining roles; I guess it was the one who used a whip that will win this one.
o Winner: Indy

• I happen to not love Gene Hackman, and I do love Halle Berry which makes this decision all the more difficult. While I like the beautiful Berry, her acting resume is not more impressive than the higher seeded Hackman. Take into affect that this is a sports-audience poll, I am guessing the coach of all coaches will at least make it to the second round. Sorry Halle, but even Bond can’t help you out of this pickle.
o Winner: Hackman

• Witherspoon earned her place in the tourney, albeit a 15 seed. Sneaking into the tourney, she cant be surprised with her first round matchup against #2 Pacino. Pacino dominated every genre of film and has some of the most iconic movie (especially guy movie) roles of all time. Reese Witherspoon is that girl Scarface kills for fun. This matchup won’t be any different.
o Winner: Pacino

Why I Thank God I am Not a Jets Fan.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7669610/new-york-jets-extend-mark-sanchez-kidding

It's bad enough that Rex Ryan has failed on his Super Bowl predictions. It's even worse that Mark Sanchez spent so much time last season proving how ridiculous such guarantees were in the first place. But this latest move by the New York Jets -- in which they've basically resorted to their same old coddling tendencies, rewarding regression instead of progression -- just shows this franchise to be the second-class citizen it truly is.

Rich Cimini: 3/10 

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Perhaps Gang Green will be something more tangible, significant, on another day. But on this day, let it be said that the Jets are a joke. When you take the time and effort to reward your quarterback and the leader of, arguably, the NFL's most dysfunctional franchise with a three-year, $40.5 million extension -- knowing the man still had two years remaining on his contract -- clearly, you're looking to be laughed at.

Even if this was an exercise to appease Sanchez after the Jets' supposed pursuit of Peyton Manning.

"[Sanchez] is a young player," Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum told reporters following the team's announcement of the extension. "And just like any young player, there's some inconsistencies that have to get better. We've won a lot of football games with Mark as a starting quarterback for the New York Jets. That's really what convinced Rex, Woody [Johnson] and me. It's not a projection. It's not a hope. It's not an incremental leap of faith. It's, 'Here's a three-year body of work.'"

I'm going to stop right here. I simply can't take it anymore.

Here's a question: If the point has been reached at which we're tired of Ryan's boasting about things not achieved, when does fatigue set in for Sanchez? Yes, he is the man who catapulted the Jets to two straight AFC title games. But has anyone forgotten how the Jets initially squeezed into the playoffs his rookie year? Or how horrible things were this year?

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The shrapnel of criticism aimed in Sanchez's direction isn't entirely about his ability to play football. It's just about time to fret over Sanchez's mental makeup and this insatiable need the Jets evidently feel to nurture his psyche, no matter who else on their roster they alienate in the process.

Did anyone listen to LaDainian Tomlinson talk of how much Sanchez was coddled after the season? How about former Jet and noted ESPN NFL analyst, Damien Woody, who essentially said the same?

Does anyone recall seeing Santonio Holmes pout his way into the offseason? Or Ryan being pushed to a near-tearful mea culpa, acknowledging he was asleep at the wheel while acrimony and dissent were ballooning in his locker room instead of wins?

Who's the common denominator in all of this?

Don't bother answering. We all know the deal.

The same quarterback who's never had a viable backup since he arrived in this league is the same quarterback the Jets just committed to for the next five years. It's the same Mark Sanchez whose idea of a demotion is being pulled from a few reps in practice so Ryan could get his attention -- while telling the media "Shhh! Don't say anything. I want him to sweat!"

Seriously! Stop laughing!

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We're talking about the same Mark Sanchez last seen throwing one pivotal interception after another with the season on the line versus the Dolphins, tanning in the South Florida sun -- blow-drying his hair, evidently -- before Holmes had stomached enough and said "To hell with this, let me go and relax myself."

Holmes spoke for the silenced among Gang Green. He spoke to a fan base that had seen the inexplicable, still desperate for an explanation. He revealed, through his own disgust, that the Jets, despite having a talented quarterback, are still saddled with one whose capabilities are limited because the Jets do everything but don an apron to protect the man undeservedly called Sanchise.

"This is an NFL locker room," one member of the Jets, still on the roster, told me after his team's loss to the New York Giants. "When men see another man protected a lot more than others, you don't like it. Especially when it's your quarterback, and he doesn't seem to mind."

The Jets should have known this was a problem last season. They certainly know this now. Yet after rightfully pursuing Peyton Manning -- if for no other reason than to put Sanchez on notice that more productivity would be demanded, or else -- they reverted back to form.

"I'm excited that the Jets believed in me and that I was the guy that they want to move forward with for the future," Sanchez told reporters once the extension was announced. "The best part about it is that they chose to stick with me. I'm going to be the starting quarterback for the next few years. That's exciting. It gives the team a reminder that I'm the leader of this team."

Yes, it does!

Congratulations, New York Jets. Your future is set. You have your quarterback, and all the baggage that comes with him.

Good luck on thinking it'll get you somewhere. To places only the Giants can speak about in this football town, that is.