The Florida Gators are the best team in college football. They beat the Oklahoma Sooners and their Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford in a very good championship game 24-14. USC may have a legit argument that they are also qualified to get a piece of the National Championship but Florida is definitely deserving of the trophy. I was rooting for Oklahoma and they played well but they just didn’t make the plays in order to win the game. What more can anyone say about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. That speech he made after the Ole Miss loss early in the season was sincere, heartfelt and he lived up to every word. He said he was sorry to the Gator fans and that he promised he would push himself and his team harder than any player in the country. He said this with tears in his eyes and he did it. Inside I was so happy for him when they won. I was happy that a young man could accomplish his goals after such a letdown early in the season. He is a true leader and now, undoubtedly a WINNER. To top it all off, he is coming back for his senior season at Florida.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are the #1 team in men’s college basketball. You know being from Pittsburgh I am happy and telling everyone. I don’t know when the last time a Pitt team was #1 in the country. This team is good. I still think North Carolina has the most talent and deepest team in college basketball but Pitt is very good. They have a savvy point guard in LeVance Fields, a scorer in Sam Young and a beast inside with DeJuan Blair. They also have a great bunch of role players that I think could help them make a run to the NCAA Final Four. Let’s Go Pitt!!!
Onto NFL Football. These play-offs have been great. The Baltimore Ravens are playing defense and making plays like they are the best team in the NFL. They have won two games on the road and are looking like the 2008 NFL champs New York Giants. We can talk about the Ravens defense all day, everyone knows that. But Joe Flacco, the rookie quarterback, has been great. He doesn’t turn the ball over and he makes one or two plays every game to help his team win games. The game this past weekend against Tennessee was phenomenal. It was so physical. They were two teams that really don’t like each other and it showed from the first minute of the game. Tennessee definitely had its chances to win the game but turned the ball over 3 times when they had chances to at least get 3 points out of their drives. Twice they fumbled the ball inside the Baltimore 20. Take nothing away from Baltimore though, they did what they had to do to win the game.
The surpise thus far has to be the Arizona Cardinals. They killed the Carolina Panthers in Carolina 33-13. They dominated a game that everyone said they had no chance to win. Arizona is for real this post season and our one win away from the Super Bowl. I am a Pennsylvania kid so you know I was smiling as Philly (Philadelphia Eagles) put their hands on the New Giants. The defense of the Eagles looked really good. They stopped the Giants on two important 4th down plays that were crucial in the 4th quarter. I was jumping up and down at home yelling go Philly. I cheer for the Eagles but my heart is with the Steelers. And the Steelers looked impressive Sunday night in their win at home against the San Diego Chargers. Ben Roethlisberger was fabulous and Willie Parker is back. He is healthy and running the ball like the elite running back that he is in the NFL. I am so excited. It could turn out to be an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl. That would be incredible. That has never happened to my knowledge and I am rooting for an Eagles vs Steelers showdown for all the marbles.
I will leave you with this, If you don’t invest very much time, heart and effort, then defeat doesn’t hurt very much and succeeding is not very fulfilling.