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Posted by: Bradley McDonald

I'll start off Super Bowl week with an article about Christians who have played in the big game. In this article on Christianity Today's website, Frank Reich and Kurt Warner talk about how they've used the Super Bowl as a tool to spread their beliefs.

"In victory or defeat, the Super Bowl is an opportunity to reflect on the bigger scope of things," Reich says. "That does not mean as an athlete I was not giving my all through the Super Bowl. I always wanted to have and sought to have the perspective that I was trying to win as much as the other guy was. But I also wanted to keep the perspective that it wasn't just about the game, that there were things more important than the game."

The principles that the players shared in the article can also be applied to our somewhat more ordinary lives. We don't need a Super Bowl or sporting event to demonstrate our Christianity. We can apply these principals to ordinary events in our everyday lives.

"Ultimately, contentment comes in knowing that all labor, whether on the football field or in business, when done for the glory of God has no greater purpose," Reich says.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Recently, a reader asked what I was going to cover once the Super Bowl was over. She mentioned that I ought to cover some random sport, which brought an idea to mind. So, starting today, I'm going to periodically drag up some kind of bizarre 'sport' and let you know about it. Some of these may or not be a 'sport', depending on your definition of the word, but all of them will be weird. If you know of something that qualifies, let me know!

Bizarre Sport #1
Handgrabbin'

Being from Louisiana and a 13% redneck myself, I had heard of handgrabbin' but never actually experienced it. I recently came across an article on the internet that explained this activity thoroughly and I was quite amazed. Basically, these rednecks (I use that term affectionately) dive underwater and stick their hands in dark places (under logs or wooden boxes) in hopes that a 50 pound catfish will bite them. If the fish does bite, then the redneck/handgrabber tries to grab it's mouth and bring it above water. I've caught a few catfish in my time, but I've never once had the desire to use my fingers as bait. Especially not for something that has a mouth as big as my head!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, we've got a two teams in the Super Bowl that a lot of people predicted would be there even before the season began. The only real surprise was how easy New England and Philadelphia made it look this past weekend.

New England forced rookie Ben Roethlisberger into a couple of early mistakes and never looked back. The Patriots offense was as efficient as it's been all season and that's saying something considering Pittsburgh trotted out the number one ranked defense in the NFL. You've got to love how Tom Brady plays the game. He's not flashy and he doesn't have the greatest arm in the league; all he does is win. He's the perfect quarterback for that system.

Mike Vick didn't look like the perfect quarterback for Atlanta's system Sunday. Philadelphia shut the passing game down, but more importantly, held the Falcons (the best rushing team in the NFL) to only 114 yards rushing. It was nice to see Donovan McNabb finally get through to the Super Bowl after 3 straight losses in the NFC Championship game. The Eagles had a lot of doubters after selfish-star Terrell Owens went down, but they proved all those doubters wrong with un-selfish play.

If Owens is able to play in the Super Bowl, it could be a very interesting game. Philadelphia will need a playmaker like him, though, if they expect to hang with the Patriots. More on the game to come...

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

The Astros reportedly signed a one-year contract with Roger Clemens worth a whopping $18 million. Clemens was indecisive about whether he wanted to come back and pitch one more year or retire, but looks like being the highest paid pitcher in baseball is worth it for him to come back. Even though he's 42 years old, he was one of the most dominating pitchers last year and he'll definitely add a few wins for the Astros and a lot more fans in the seats.

I was rather disappointed in this decision because I offered to pitch for Houston for a measly $1 million. Supposedly, my arm has "lost some of it's pop." I guess this may be true since I haven't pitched since high school. I was in on a combined no-hitter in little league, though!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

If you haven't read the cover article "An Angel in the Family" yet on NinetyAndNine.com, please take the time to do so. The article is a series of emails from a lady I admire very much, as her 17 year-old son was dying of Leukemia. The emails are tear jerking, but you can see the attitude of a true Christian. True Christianity is going with God even though nothing is going your way. Trusting Him even though the "whys" aren't answered and may never be. We should look to God for revelations and not explanations during these times.

"When you and I hurt deeply, what we really need is not an explanation from God but a revelation of God. We need to see how great God is; we need to recover our lost perspective on life. Things get out of proportion when we are suffering, and it takes a vision of something bigger than ourselves to get life's dimensions adjusted again."

Warren W. Wiersbe

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, things have been busy around here, so I haven't had time to personally thank the Falcons for knocking down my sports credibility a notch or two. They ran all over the Rams (whom I picked to win) in the playoffs this past weekend. And, also contrary to what I said, Mike Vick didn't even have to be effective passing the ball. He only threw for 82 yards (although he did have two touchdowns), but everyone who touched the ball for the Falcons ran through St. Louis like the Rams were fourth graders playing flag football. This is tackle football, fellas.

Philly didn't have too many problems defeating Minnesota (27-14), either. The Falcons will now play the Eagles for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. This is an interesting matchup and should make for a great game. The offenses are opposites (the Falcons run the ball and the Eagles throw it), but the defenses are both fast and smart. I think the Eagles finally break through and make it to the Super Bowl.

In New England, it looked like just another day at the office for the Patriots. Apparently, no one told them they were playing against the Indianapolis Colts and record-holder Peyton Manning. The snow probably had something to do with the ineffectiveness of the Colts' offense, but I don't care if the game is in the North Pole, when you hold that offense to 3 points, you've accomplished something!

New England should have a tougher time in the AFC Championship against the Steelers, who squeaked by the Jets in overtime. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger actually looked like a rookie in this game, but their defense kept them in the game. It doesn't get any easier for Big Ben as he goes up against New England's D. It won't be the first time he's seen it, though. Pittsburgh defeated New England 34-20 in week 8. I don't expect that to happen again, though. Bill Belichick will see that it doesn't.

New England vs. Philadelphia in the Super Bowl! (Hey, at least I can only be wrong on two games this week.)

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

The Houston Astros are in need of a center fielder now that Carlos Beltran signed with the Mets for $119 million over 7 years. Supposedly, talks with the Astros broke down over a no-trade clause. I can't figure out why Houston would offer over $100 million and then lose out over a no-trade clause. At least Beltran didn't go to the Yankees (who acquired Randy Johnson the same day). I have an ever-growing suspicion that George Steinbrenner is the anti-christ.

Last night, the New Orleans Hornets varsity basketball team had their two game win streak snapped by the Detroit Pistons. Two games isn't much, you say? Well, it doubled the total win column for the Hornets, who are now 4-30. At least the Hornets make the Saints look like winners.

NFL Playoffs

Indianapolis at New England
This is the game everyone is talking about this week, and rightfully so. Can the defending Super Bowl champions shut down Manning and the Colts' offense? Shut down, no; control, maybe. After last year, I've learned not to doubt Bill Belichick's game-planning mastery. The Colts went into New England on a roll last playoff season, but they left with a 24-14 loss. Of course, this is a different year and the Colts' offense is more potent than ever. I'll take the easy way out and call this one a tie.

Patriots 30 - Colts 30

New York at Pittsburgh
I would say this is the easiest game to call this weekend. The Steelers are better than the Jets at just about every aspect of the game. And to top it off, Jets QB Chad Pennington has the flu.

Steelers 24 - Jets 13

St. Louis at Atlanta
Upset alert! The Falcons are not nearly as good as their record suggests and the Rams' offense is rolling. Mike Vick will get his yards running the ball, but he'll have to be effective in the air for Atlanta to win. I'm going with the Rams, so go ahead and call your bookie and bet the house on Atlanta.

Rams 28 - Falcons 24

Minnesota at Philadelphia
How much will Philly miss Terrell Owens? A good bit, I would think, but they may have enough weapons to get by the Vikings. The key for the Eagles will be ball control. If they don't turn the ball over to the Vikings' powerful offense like Green Bay did last week, they should be OK.

Eagles 24 - Vikings 17

If Minnesota does win, I want to see Randy Moss really moon the crowd and see how upset Joe Buck gets. Last week after scoring a touchdown, Moss acted like he was mooning the crowd and that seemed to offend a lot of people, including Buck, an announcer, who called it a 'disgusting act.' I don't consider a fake mooning disgusting (as long as no part of the derriere is revealed), but I do consider walking off the field before the game is over disgusting (which Moss did the previous week).

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

I know this isn't sports related, but if you haven't already, make sure you read "Tsunami! Prayer Still Protects!" and "Tsunami News: Devastation and Miracles" on our 90&9 home page as it proves that God is still around, even in a catastrophe of this magnitude.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, I didn't pick any upsets this past weekend and, of course, three upsets occurred. That's what I get for going with logic.

The Rams held off the Seahawks, 27-20, the Jets stunned the Chargers with a field goal in overtime, and Minnesota capitalized on 4 interceptions to beat Green Bay 31-17.

At least Indianapolis hammered Denver to allow me to keep some dignity.

Upsets are fun to watch if you're impartial to the teams, but I was actually pulling for the teams that were upset. I was hoping Matt Hasselbeck might get redemption from last year's interception that cost Seattle a playoff game, but instead, the result was agonizingly similar. It would've been nice to see the Chargers continue their amazing turn-around (from a 4-12 record to 12-4) and you had to be cheering for Green Bay if you prefer good (Brett Favre) over evil (Randy Moss).

Oh, well. There's always next week.

I didn't get to watch any of the games Saturday because I took a road trip to New Orleans to take in some fine Creole dining and jazz music. If you're ever in the Big Easy, be sure to check out the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. There's nothing that says "N'awlins" more than hearing six gray-haired black men performing their distinctive brand of jazz in a crowded room that hasn't changed much in 40 years. It felt like the year was 1965 and the musicians were playing in an impromptu jam session for friends. The Preservation Hall does have one facet that is anti-New Orleans: there is no drinking or smoking allowed.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

"Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I'm just hoping we can win a game, another game." - Jim Mora, Sr.

It never fails. Come playoff time in the NFL, someone has to play that clip of Mora spouting off after a loss in the 2001 season that dropped the Colts to 4-6. It never fails to crack me up, either. You have to hear the audio clip to get the full effect of Mora's squeaking voice.

Anyway, on to this weekend's playoff games.

St. Louis at Seattle
The Seahawks limp into this game with a 9-7 record after a lot of people had picked them to be in the Super Bowl. Luckily for Seattle, they get to play the 8-8 Rams (no team with a .500 record or below has ever won a playoff game). Neither one of these teams is playing particularly well, but St. Louis beat Seattle twice during the regular season. But I'll give the advantage to the Seahawks this time since they're playing at home. If they keep the ball on the ground with Shaun Alexander, they should be able to keep the Rams high-powered offense off the field.

Seahawks 28 - Rams 24

New York (Jets) at San Diego
The Chargers, who have only lost one game in their last ten, have all the tools to be successful in the playoffs. The Jets have enough talent to make this a game (and possibly even an upset), but they just haven't lived up to their potential this year.

Chargers 27 - Jets 21

Minnesota at Green Bay
The Vikings offense just hasn't been the same since Randy Moss was hurt earlier during the season. Even though Moss is back, he's not the same player he was before his injury. The Vikings can still score some points, so I expect this to be an offensive game (both defenses are below average), but Favre and company will be too tough at Lambeau.

Packers 34 - Vikings 24

Denver at Indianapolis
Even though the Broncos have a good defense and one of the top corners in Champ Bailey (who has actually been disappointing this year), they won't be able to slow down the Indy Express.

Colts 41 - Broncos 28

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, the National Championship game wasn't all it was made out to be. The Trojans definitely held up their end, but Jason White and the boys of "Choke-lahoma" looked horrible in losing their second consecutive championship game. Matt Leinart looked like a Heisman trophy winner, but the receivers are the ones who really impressed me. Leinart kept putting the ball where only his receivers could catch it and they made some outstanding grabs. White, on the other hand, kept putting the ball where only the Trojan defenders could catch it.

After seeing USC dominate this game, I believe they would beat Auburn. They just have too many weapons on offense. Of course, USC wouldn't have nearly as many big plays against Auburn, because Auburn's defensive backs can actually cover something. Oklahoma's defensive backfield just looked lost out there.

Now the BCS is contemplating using a committee of "experts" to decide the National Championship game. Well, isn't that wonderful. So instead of blaming computer rankings for a split championship, now we get to blame actual human beings. I really don't see how a committee could've reduced the controversy the last two years. Both years had three teams with legitimate arguments to be in the championship game.

Oh, well. At least the NFL has a playoff! And it starts this weekend. Tune in tomorrow to see my picks.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

With the retiring Southampton (in his prime, I might add), a new blog has risen out of the shadows. The braintrust at NinetyandNine.com thought it might be interesting to feature a different blogger each month, and I agree. Our first showcase features Sarah Holland, who is up and running. Go check her out!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, it's been an exciting week of football (a dissappointing one for us LSU fans - a loss of a coach and a bowl game). The National Championship game tonight between Oklahoma and USC has all the makings of an incredible game. The teams match up well and there are playmakers and NFL prospects everywhere you look. I'll predict a 37-27 USC victory even though I'll be pulling fr OU (mainly because USC stole half of LSU's championship last year).

Meanwhile, an undefeated Auburn team will be sitting at home with no chance of a trophy. This gets right to the heart of what is wrong with the BCS. There are no "ifs" or "woulda, coulda, shoulda" for Auburn. They did everything they had to do to prove they are the best team in the country, but they still can't get recognized as National Champs! I'll think I'll buy each AU player a ring out of one of those gum-ball dispensers. They deserve a ring, at least.

There were plenty of other good bowl games this year. Louisville and Boise State lived up to the hype as they combined for 84 points. Louisville won the game by 4 points, but the outcome wasn't decided until Louisville intercepted a pass in the end zone on the last play of the game.

Texas proved they belonged in the BCS by beating Michigan on a last-second field goal. It was a fitting end to one of the best Rose Bowls ever.

And, of course, Iowa beat LSU by scoring a touchdown on the last play of the game. It wasn't just a touchdown; it was a 56 yard, blown coverage, bomb of a touchdown after LSU had taken the lead with 46 seconds in the game that sent us fans from ecstasy to agony. I say, "fire the coach!"

Jokingly, of course, because the coach is in Miami now getting ready to coach the Dolphins. LSU ended up tabbing Les Miles, Oklahoma State's coach of the last 4 years, to be our next head coach. The move was met with mixed reaction down here, because most people wanted a proven, big-name guy. After some reluctance myself, I am excited with the choice after looking into Miles background. Miles led Okie State to three straight bowl games after they had only been to one in twelve years. I've also already heard good things coming from some of the recruits who he has already talked with.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

As promised (and a little late), here is my 'Best Of' for 2004. Of course, I've got all kinds of things to say about the bowl games and LSU's new coach, but I'll get to those later.

The sports world brought us many moments in 2004 that were unforgettable and many that we want to forget. Since I started this blog, I've tried to give you some positive notes about sports to somewhat overshadow all the negative events. So, instead of focusing on brawls, steroids, or court cases, this Top 5 will focus on great achievements on the field. If you disagree with the choices, email me.

1) Red Sox Win World Series.

No other sporting event has changed so many people's lives this year. Red Sox fans, some of the most passionate on earth, had reason to rejoice again after 86 years without a World Series title. The amazing thing was how they won it. Boston was three outs from being swept by the Yankees in the ALCS. Ten days and eight straight wins later, they were world champions.

2) Lance Armstrong wins sixth straight Tour de France.

Just eight years after Armstrong was given less than a 50 percent chance of overcoming cancer, he notched his sixth consecutive Tour de France win, the most in history. This ride into the record-books proved he is one of the greatest and most dominant athletes ever.

3) Patriots win streak.

The Patriots ran off a league-record 21 straight wins over the last two seasons, including a thrilling 32-29 Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers. Because of free agency, it's tougher than ever to win consistently in the NFL (ask the Panthers, who didn't even make the playoffs this year), but the Patriots have been dominant.

4) Michael Phelps wins 8 medals.

Phelps became the first person to win eight medals (6 gold and 2 bronze) in a single, non-boycotted Olympics. In his last medal shot, he gave up the final spot on the medley relay to a teammate and cheered from the sidelines. The team won the gold medal and Phelps got the record since he participated in the preliminary round.

5) Pistons upset Lakers.

The Pistons were supposed to be a small roadblock in the Lakers dynasty, but Detroit had different ideas. With a team that was built on teamwork and hustle, the beat the Lakers in five games in the NBA finals to pull off one of the greatest upsets ever.