Archive for February, 2011

I am not rebuilding Egypt

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

I love watching people beat the daylights of each other for a noble cause. Ok, enough about football. It was a great Super Bowl, but the real world awaits.

Those criticizing the destruction in Egypt should not be hypocritical. Just because Egyptians are ruining property over something irrelevant like the struggle for human liberty and not something meaningful like a basketball or soccer championship does not mean we should sneer at the wanton destruction.

This concludes the sports report. Now back to the Middle East.

One of the things about Americans that makes us such a noble people is that we rebuild other nations. We rebuilt Germany, Japan and Iraq. Now Egypt is being destroyed, and the question will be who should help rebuild.

As a Jewish person let me say it will not be me under any circumstances. I don’t care if they compensate me with belly dancers. The answer is no.

Rumors (that I started, but that is beside the point) have it that American Jews have been receiving letters in the mail promising construction jobs. We are being offered free tickets to Egypt.

Beware. These are one way tickets. The Muslim Brotherhood claims the tickets are open-ended because the time it will take to rebuild is unknown. This is a lie.

We built the pyramids the first time, and if Arab rioters destroy their own nation we are not building it again. We may have been good at hard labor when threatened with being whipped and beaten, but comfort in America has made us soft. We don’t even do carpentry around the house. Some of us are bookkeepers at construction firms, but lifting pens is not the same.

I know the economy is rough right now, but Jewish people thinking that construction jobs in Egypt are the answer should remember how it went with the Pharoahs. For those who never went to Hebrew school but understand American literature, it is like “Mutiny on the Bounty.” At least Captain Bligh gave his workers grog. Jews find it funny when a mustachioed guy on Seinfeld yells “No soup for you!” An Egyptian slave master yelling “No grog for you” inbetween beatings is less funny. NBC apparently left that pilot off the air.

Some Jews will say that everything turned out fine, and now we have Passover to celebrate our surviving affliction. Have any of these Jews truly tasted Matzoh? The stuff is cardboard. In fact, the stuff that goes into Matzoh might be the same raw materials we used to build the Pyramids.

What was the gratitude for our back-breaking labor? We were called lazy since the Pyramids were supposed to originally be a square (Thank you Steven Wright).

Look, I am not against building pyramids in general. For all I know the contractors who built the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas were Jewish. Yet they were paid a fair wage, and even overtime on holidays. The Jews of Egypt were given less compensation, although at least the Egyptians made up for the lack of funds with an increase in beatings.

So I implore Jews nationwide to throw away letters from Egypt requesting able bodied workers. Treat those letters like they were Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Nobody you know has ever won. You will not win.

Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. We built the Pyramids the first time. Once was enough. Until the entire Arab world decides to donate their entire oil economies to Israel to help the IDF rebuild their military, Egypt can rebuild without my help. If I am asked, I will channel the still radiant Nancy Reagan and “just say no.”

If the Egyptian people are starving, I would be happy to send them boxes of Matzoh so they understand what true suffering is.

Just don’t ask me to give up generations of Jewish tradition with regards to having no handyman skills.

If I had a hammer, I would not hammer in the morning, evening, or anywhere across this land. I would give the hammer to somebody stronger and in better physical condition.

My people have built enough. It is time our elders help in a supervisory capacity, which means playing shuffleboard in Palm Beach.

eric

Obamacare struck down

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

As I fly from LA to DC for CPAC, I will forego any further acronyms to take a brief foray back into domestic policy before the next foreign policy crisis explodes.

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2011/feb/4/obamacare-declared-unconstitutional/

Under normal circumstances, a federal judge declaring Obamacare unconstitutional would be the lead story. Yet between the riots in Egypt, Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, and Super Bowl XLV, this domestic matter was understandably given short shrift by many.

While the decision by Judge Roger Vinson was important, it was not the Earth shattering, life changing event that partisans on both sides claimed it to be. Conservatives including me applauded the decision while liberals once again earned their reputation as the leading verbal bomb-throwers in excoriation nation.

Four judges have now ruled on Obamacare, with a pair of liberals upholding the law and two conservative judges knocking it down. Yet this ruling was more broad. The previous decision against Obamacare ruled that the mandate that everybody purchase health insurance was unconstitutional. Yet that decision did not invalidate the entire law. Judge Vinson rejected the constitutionality of the entire law. Everything was declared invalid.

The left went ballistic, because water is wet. They immediately accused Judge Vinson of judicial activism, which when translated from the original liberal language means they disagreed with him and lost.

Conservatives have long complained about activist liberal judges, but being an activist judge is about expanding a ruling beyond what the Constitution allows for. Roe vs Wade is often cited as an example of judicial activism. Conservatives claim that those judges in 1973 created a new law out of thin air. Liberals claim that the “right to privacy” merely resulted in a new interpretation of existing law. The matter remains unsettled 38 years later, and judicial activism is still used as a pejorative to describe judges who legislate from the bench.

The worst example of judicial activism was when four liberal justices in the Kelo vs New London case managed to get one of the five conservatives to allow the government to expand the definition of eminent domain. This horrendous decision has led to people being removed from their homes to make way for shopping malls.

The reason why judicial activism is mainly on the left is because conservatives for the most part over the last 40 years have controlled the executive branch. The White House still carries tremendous power. The losing side uses the courts more because they need them more.

Yet those who remove their partisan blinders would see that Judge Vinson was engaging in the exact opposite of judicial activism. His ruling was the epitome of judicial restraint. Strict Constructionists adhere to such restraint, while those believing in the unprovable notion of an evolving Constitution are exactly what judicial activism is all about.

All Judge Vinson did was interpret the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. He rightly concluded that the Commerce Clause can regulate action, but not inaction. Punishing somebody for not purchasing insurance or refusing to transact fails the commerce test. A lack of commerce is not commerce. To rule otherwise would have expanded the Commerce Clause well into judicial activism territory.

There are a couple of examples that clearly show how cerebral and careful Judge Vinson was in dealing with the entire case.

A judicial activist would have done more than merely strike down the law. Judge Vinson could have issued an injunction against the law immediately upon his ruling. Knowing that the verdict was going to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Vinson allowed the law to remain in effect pending appeal. This is a clear example of a judge refusing to wield the entire force of their power.

Another reason Judge Vinson should be considered a model of restraint if that while he rejected the entire Obamacare law, he actually upheld a Medicare rule in support of the Obama administration. The same plaintiffs trying to repeal Obamacare went after the Obama Medicare rules. This would normally be considered a split decision except that the rejection of the healthcare mandate carried greater magnitude. Nevertheless, a reactionary right-wing Judge hades-bent on sticking it to Mr Obama would not rule in favor of his administration on a key Medicare ruling.

The left considers every judge to the right of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be a judicial activist while the right says the same about judges to the left of Robert Bork. The difference is that in most cases, conservatives are by definition correct. Loose construction is activism, and that emanates mainly from the left.

The left pointed out that Judge Vinson could have struck down the individual insurance mandate without invalidating the whole law. After all, the previous conservative judge who rejected the mandate left the remainder of the law intact.

The problem with the issue of “severability” is that President Obama himself argued for two years against severability. He has repeatedly stated that without mandates, the entire law falls apart.

In a desperate attempt to get the bill passed, Mr. Obama gave different legal arguments to the courts than the emotional arguments he gave to the American people to win passage. He told Americans that the law did not contain a tax. Yet upon finding out that the law would be illegal under that scenario, he had to argue before the courts that it was a tax.

Arguing against calling the bill a tax could be seen as campaign rhetoric. Yet severability was a legal argument by a former professor of Constitutional law. Judge Vinson had no choice but to rule against severability, especially since President Obama never reversed himself and abandoned that argument.

So while conservatives celebrate and leftists foam rabidly, the real reaction to the decision of Judge Vinson should be to shrug the shoulders.

As previously stated, four judges have ruled, and the decisions are split. Until the Supreme Court issues their ruling, nothing is settled. There are most likely four liberal votes in favor of the constitutionality of the law and four conservatives against it. Justice Anthony Kennedy remains a wild card. He often sides with the conservatives, but he is a swing vote.

So where do we go from here? We follow the law. We respect the rule of law. We respect our judges. We recently saw an American judge murdered in cold blood (unrelated to any political ruling), and we do not want to become known as a nation where murdering judges is how judicial review is handled.

As of now, Obamacare is the law of the land. It is on life support, but even the judge who struck down the law refused to immediately enjoin. Those claiming that they can immediately disobey the law are wrong. When we disagree with a law is when we must adhere to it most.

I will work to help get the Obamacare law permanently defeated and reduced to the ash heap of history. Yet I will never advocate judicial, executive, or legislative activism that conflicts with the strict constructionist view of the Constitution.

Whatever the Supreme Court decides, I will accept.

That is what individual and societal restraint is all about. Judge Vinson reminded us of this from the bench. He deserves only judicial plaudits.

eric

Happy 100th President Reagan

Monday, February 7th, 2011

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Reagan was born. In 2111, I pray that the shining city on a hill he spoke about still stands as a worldwide beacon of freedom and liberty.

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2011/feb/6/happy-100th-mr-reagan/

Dear President Reagan,

First let me wish you a happy 100th birthday. You are still alive in our hearts throughout the globe. I had the thrill of speaking at the Reagan Library in 2009. It was the honor of a lifetime. I felt your presence, and appreciate your allowing the appropriate words to flow from my lips. You would have been proud sir, although not as proud as I am every day to be one of your legions of political disciples.

It seems only fitting that your 100th birthday would fall on the same day as the Super Bowl. In one day America got to celebrate its greatest 20th century sporting event with our greatest 20th century political leader.

Yet things are different here sir since I last wrote to you back in 2007.

https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2007/06/thank-you-again-mr-reagan/

Four years ago I was brimming with optimism. I want to maintain the sunny disposition you brought to the nation you referred to as that shining city on a hill. It is just not as easy as it was.

For one thing, the people who made America great are leaving us. Two months before your death, I lost my third grandparent. In April of 2008 my grandmother died, and I no longer had grandparents. I know they are in heaven with you. They were not Republicans, but I know you are treating them as kindly as you did everybody you encountered.

Since 2007, we replaced a president who expanded upon your vision of the world with another man determined to reverse everything you did. He is not a bad person, but he sees the world totally differently than you did. I am very concerned about this.

The economy in 2011 is much worse than in 2007. Unemployment is higher than at any time since you took over the White House. You brought unemployment down, but the current president has been unable to do so in two years. Some people feel he needs more time. Others feel he is overmatched. Uncertainty is everywhere.

The world stage also offers some concern. The Middle East was dangerous when you were in charge, but things are much tougher now. Riots are breaking out in several nations, and only God knows who will end up taking over.

Mr. Reagan, as frustrating as things get, I know that neither you or my grandparents would allow pessimism to win the day. So in honor of your greatness, let me give you some good news.

Advances in technology have been amazing. In the last four years alone, something new called “social networking” has been created. Facebook and Twitter have allowed us to communicate with people all over the globe at a pace that makes the original instant messenger seem like a relic of the dinosaur age.

Advances in medicine have allowed us to truly declare war on AIDS all over the globe, especially in Africa. President George W. Bush set aside 15 billion dollars, the largest amount ever. Bill Gates retired from Microsoft to lead the fight against this dreadful disease. A singer named Bono has been speaking all over the world about getting the right drugs in front of the people who need them.

Despite living through tough economic times, Americans are as generous as ever. When an Earthquake devastated Haiti, Americans donated hundreds of millions of dollars. There is this new feature on cellphones called text messaging. Some people abuse this technology to send meaningless messages, but it has its good points. With one click of a button on our mobile phones, we can send donations to Haiti and other people around the globe in need. So many people click on these buttons to send money that America continues to help feed and clothe innocent people we have never met. We do this solely because we are compassionate. You would be proud.

Mr. President, barriers are being shattered in ways that people only dreamed about years ago. In 2000 a Jewish Republican ran for the presidency and a Jewish Democrat became the vice presidential nominee. In 2008 the Republican Party had a woman as their vice presidential nominee and the Democrats had a woman come very close to winning their nomination. None of these people won, but a glass ceiling was smashed anyway. Our current president is partially black. He is a Democrat, but to make things even more amazing, the Chairman of the Republican Party was also black. Both political parties were led by a black man. Americans of all stripes are inspired by this.

Even more amazing is that the middle name of our current leader is Hussein. A small group of people think he is a Muslim, but he is actually a Christian. Americans looked at a black man with Hussein in his name, and they shrugged. The former chairman of the Republican Party was Jewish. He also recently announced that he is homosexual. Again, Americans just shrugged. The society where all people are equal in the eyes of God is taking shape before our eyes. Issues of race, gender, and sexuality are slowly becoming irrelevant. We argue about healthcare, economics, and foreign policy.

President Reagan, just know that now that my grandmother is gone, the strongest woman on the planet might be Nancy Reagan. She is a tough lady, and she is hanging in there. She remains an inspiration to many.

Mr. Reagan, things are not hunky-dory. Our economic situation is perilous. We are being strangled by a debt much larger than anything you could have imagined. Hard choices need to be made, and only time will tell if our leaders do the right thing to save our status as an economic superpower.

Even worse, there was a tragedy recently in which a crazed madman shot several people, including a U.S. Congresswoman. A judge was killed, and so was a nine year old girl ironically born on 9/11. Yet even that awful black cloud saw a silver lining. Members of Congress vowed to be more civil to each other, and treat each other in the classy, dignified way you treated everybody. Some have violated this promise, but many of them have kept it.

What we miss most is your dogged optimism. When you entered the White House, people were afraid that America was declining. Some thought the Russians would surpass us. Others thought the Japanese would end our dominance. Neither of those scenarios panned out.

Today the fear is that the 21st century belongs to China. Americans have no ill will toward the people of China. They are good people with a beautiful cultural history and heritage. Yet it is dampening our spirits to constantly be told that America is finished.

This is not true sir. We are the people who defeated Nazism and Communism. We are in a long struggle to defeat Radical Islam, but we are making slow but steady progress. We invented the automobile and the internet. We are still the people who risk our lives to give other people the taste of freedom that our Founding Fathers and many others since then fought to preserve.

As a Commander in Chief, you would be elated to know that our military is as respected as it has ever been. Those excoriating our soldiers are diminishing in number and voice. Most people greet soldiers with a handshake, a salute, and a hearty “Thank you, and welcome home.”

So on your 100th birthday sir, just know that things will be all right. Americans will do what we always do. We will dig down deep, and lift ourselves up to the highest levels before going even higher than that.

I lamented in 2007 that we did not discover the cure for Alzheimers in time to save your life. In 2011, we still have not done so. Yet I know we will.

How do I know this?   How do I know that we will overcome the tough times we face and build an even brighter, stronger, and better America than ever before?

I know this because I still believe the words you told us in your 1981 inaugural address. We will succeed. After all, as you pointed out, “We are Americans.”

Happy 100th Mr. Reagan. For free people everywhere, God bless you and thank you very much sir.

eric

Super Bowl XLV Recap

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

So much is going on this Super Bowl Sunday as we play Super Bowl XLV.

Today is also the 100th birthday of President Ronald Reagan, who among many other accomplishments played the Gipper, football coach Knute Rockne.

While President 40 will be given a tribute before the game, President 44 Barack Obama will be interviewed by Bill O’Reily as part of the pregame festivities.

I will have much more to say about President Reagan on Monday and the Obama-O’Reilly interview later in the week. Today is not about politics. It is a celebration of football.

Before getting to the game, congratulations to the newest inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, Chris Hanburger, and Les Richter are now Hall of Famers.

http://www.nfl.com/halloffame/story/09000d5d81e2560a/article/sanders-faulk-among-seven-named-to-hall-of-fame?module=breaking_news

Deion Sanders absolutely deserved to get in. He might be the greatest lockdown corner of all time.

Thankfully Ed Sabol got in. It would have been a travesty had he been denied. NFL Films is the NFL, period, exclamation point. He is every bit as important to the game as anyone else in the hall. Without him, we would not even know about many of the senior nominees.

Regarding senior nominees Hanburger and Richter, I do not know enough about them. I look forward to learning.

Marshall Faulk was considered a no-brainer, and I will probably get pilloried for this, but I would make a case for Curtis Martin. Faulk was a great player, but the Greatest Show on Turf with Kurt Warner and all of those receivers, led by mad scientist Mike Martz, gave Faulk the bump Martin never had. The top 3 running backs in yards are all in, and Martin was # 4. # 5 was Jerome Bettis, who also just missed the final cut.

I have nothing against Richard Dent, but over Charles Haley? Really? Will the Lord of the Rings one day not get screwed? 5 Super Bowls has to count for something. I am mystified by Haley being excluded.

As for Shannon Sharpe, this one is a stunner. Yes he is the best tight end of all time, and he has 3 rings. Yet to put him ahead of Cris Carter, Tim Brown, and Andre Reed boggles my mind. I figured at least one of those guys would get in. They should go in order, which means that until Carter gets in, Brown and Reed will be denied.

Another stunning omission was Willie Roaf, one of the best tackles of all time. He made 11 Pro Bowls in 13 years and was named to the all decade team in the 1990s and the 2000s. He absolutely must get in soon.

I also completely fail to understand how Paul Tagliabue got denied again.

Anyway, the debate can rage on starting Monday. Today is Super Bowl Sunday.

For those of you interested in the halftime show, the commercials, or the (lack of) cheerleaders, go somewhere else. I ban people from my home unless they are there to actually watch the game. This is not about the fluff. This is about football.

Super Bowl XLV (45) is upon us.
With Vince Lombardi and Art Rooney in heaven, a pair of the most storied NFL franchises will compete against each other. The Packers were the team of the 1960s, winning 5 NFL Championships including 2 Super Bowls. The Steelers of the 1970s won 4 Super Bowls. Since then each of these teams faded in the 1980s, but came back. In the 1990s the Packers won one Super Bowl and lost one. The Steelers lost one in 1995, then won it in 2005 and 2008.

Mike McCarthy is coaching in his first Super Bowl while Mike Tomlin is trying to become the youngest head coach to win it twice. Defensive Coordinators Dick Lebeau and Dom Capers each are given some credit for the invention of the Zone Blitz defense that turned Pittsburgh into Blitzburgh. Capers is now with Green Bay. Ben Roethlisberger is playing in his 3rd Super Bowl in 6 years. He began the year under controversy but is seeking redemption. Aaron Rodgers is publicly classy but any man in his position would be seeking vindication to escape the shadow his Brett Favre left. The Steelers are seeking a record 7th Super Bowl victory. Their 8th appearance ties that record.

Are you ready for some football!

Superbowl XLV is here! Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers!

Let’s get it on!

eric

Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers–In a major development, Steelers center Maurice Pouncey was officially put on injured reserve. I genuinely believe this gives the edge to the Packers. For those thinking a center is not a big deal, remember the thrashing the Buccaneers defense gave to the Raiders offense when they lost their starting center to a mental illness the weekend of the game. The quarterback-center exchange cost the Steelers a fumble leading to a safety in the AFC Title Game. The Pouncey loss is big.

Prediction: They are both known for defense, but the offenses will still have fun. Packers 34, Steelers 31

Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers–The Steelers won the coin tossed into the air by Deion Sanders, and Antonio Brown returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to the Pittsburgh 34. Yet Pittsburgh went 3 and out and punted. Green Bay avoided disaster when Tremon Williams ran into his own man while fielding the punt. Yet The Packers recovered their own fumble to begin at their own 21.

On 3rd and 9 Aaron Rodgers hit Donald Driver for 24 yards. On 3rd and 7 Rodgers went deep and it went right through the hands of a diving Jordy Nelson as the Packers punted a touchback. Rashaard Mendenhall ripped off gains of 15 and 9 yards. After a false start, Ben Roethlisberger fired incomplete on 3rd and 2. Pittsburgh punted and the Packers took over at their own 20.

On 3rd and inches Starks bounced off his own man in the backfield and got to the outside for a 7 yard gain. Rodgers hit Nelson for 9. Starks got the yard. Rodgers then hit Nelson for 14 just before being pulled down. From the Pittsburgh 38, Starks ran up the middle for 7. On 3rd and 1, Rodgers went to Nelson for the 29 yard touchdown to complete the 80 yard drive as the Packers struck first to lead 7-0 with 4 minutes left in the opening quarter.

An illegal block on the ensuing kickoff had the Steelers starting at their own 7. Big Ben went deep just before getting leveled. Nick Collins intercepted the pass, wove through traffic, and dove to the end zone for a 37 yard interception return. Just like that, the Packers led 14-0. An excessive celebration penalty against the Packers had them kicking off from their own 15. The Steelers began at their own 39. On 3rd and 9 from just shy of midfield, Big Ben scrambled for 18 as the opening quarter ended.

The second quarter saw the Steelers quickly facing 3rd and 12 at the Green Bay 35. A 13 yard completion to Emanuel Sanders kept the drive going. On 3rd and 7 from the 19, a completion to Mike Wallace set up 4th and 3. Mike Tomlin brought in Sean Suisham to kick the 33 yard field goal as the Steelers were on the board down 14-3 with 11 minutes left in the half. The Steelers had the ball for 12 plays and 7 minutes, yet did not crack the end zone.

The Packers took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 5 Rodgers completed a 4 yard pass, another reason many people despise the West Coast Offense. The concept of throwing past the marker is is an odd concept for some as Green Bay punted again. Pittsburgh took over at their own 22 and offensive holdng pushed them back to the 12. On 1st and 20 Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace for 16. Mewelde Moore ran for 8 yards and a 1st down. Roethlisberger scrambled for 6 more. On 3rd and 6 Big Ben fired over the middle to Antwon Randle-El for 13 to the Green Bay 48. Ben fired a laser over the middle but Jared Bush ripped it out of the receiver’s hands for Roethlisberger’s 2nd interception as the Packers took over at their own 47.

A 17 yard completion from Rodgers to Nelson had the Packers at the Pittsburgh 33.  Starks gained 12. From the Pittsburgh 21, Rodgers fired over the middle to Greg Jennings. Jennings got nailed by Troy Palomalu but somehow held on to the ball for the touchdown as the Packers led 21-3 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Steelers took over at their own 23. Big Ben went deep to Antwon Randle-El for a 37 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 Big Ben fired complete to Hines Ward for 14. Roethlisberger found Ward for 13 more to set up 1st and goal at the 7. Roethlisberger then rolled around, and fired to the corner of the end zone as Ward caught the touchdown as the Steelers got to within 21-10 with 39 seconds left in the half. From the Green Bay 20, Mike McCarthy took no chances as one run ended the half.

The Packers took over to start the second half at their own 20 as Palm Oliver, who is hot, announced that Charles Woodson suffered an injured collarbone in the first half and would not return. Emanuel Sanders was out for Pittsburgh with a foot injury. Penalties put the Packers in a hole and a 3rd and 5 pass to James Jones was dropped. Jones had open field ahead of him, and instead the Packers punted. A facemask on Green Bay on the return had the Steelers starting at midfield.

Mendenhall ran outside for 17 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 24, Redmonds took a handoff off tackle 15 yards. Mendenhall then raced straight up the middle as the Steelers were right back in it. Mike Tomlin wisely decided against the 2 point conversion as the Steelers got within 21-17 only 4 1/2 minutes into the second half.

Green Bay took over at their own 18. On 2nd and 7 Rodgers again fired to Nelson, who again dropped a pass that was well thrown. James Harrison sacked Rodgers as the first sack of the game ended the drive. The Steelers took over at their own 39. On 3rd and 1 Roethlisberger had to burn a timeout. Mendenhall was trapped in the backfield but he again bounced to the outside for the 1st down at the Green  Bay 44. After overthrowing Mike Wallace on the deep ball, Big Ben found Hines Ward over the middle for 15 yards. Roethlisberger’s next pass was batted in the air by Clay Matthews, who almost intercepted it. On 3rd and 13 Big Ben got Zomboed as the sack by Zombo ended the drive. Mike Tomlin took a big risk by bringing Suisham for a 52 yard field goal. A miss from 51 last year became the turing point in that Super Bowl. Suisham missed by a country mile golf slice wide left as the Packers took over at their own 42.

The Packers had only 17 yards of offense and 30 penalty yards in the quarter, but Rodgers quickly found Nelson for 18 yards. On 3rd and 8 Pittsburgh took a timeout on defense as the Steelers only had one left. Rodgers fired incomplete and Mike McCarthy did not decide to go for it or kick a 56 yard field goal. A good punt had the Steelers at their own 12. Green Bay went 3 and out as a 3rd and 10 pass looked like a reception before the ball was ripped out of the receiver’s hands. McCarthy challenged the incompletion call unsuccessfully and the Packers lost a timeout and punted. A penalty on Green Bay led to a rekick. A bad punt had the Steelers starting at the Green Bay 41.

Rashaard Mendenhall ran outside for 8 yards as the third quarter ended. On the opening play of the fourth quarter Mendenhall got the carry again. This time the shoulder of Clay Matthews on the ball dislodged it as the 3rd Pittsburgh turnover had the Packers starting at their own 45. On 3rd and 7 Rodgers hit Nelson, who made a diving catch on a low throw for a 12 yard gain. On the next play Jordy Nelson got the Jeremy Stevens award for another dropped pass of a well thrown ball. Stevens played for Seattle against Pittsburgh in that Super Bowl.

On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 40 on the next play, Nelson redeemed himself as a pass over the middle from Rodgers went for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 2. Since Green Bay runs the West Coast Offense, running the ball does not exist. Rodgers was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Yet on the next play Rodgers hit Jennings for the touchdown as the Packers had some breathing room with a 28-17 lead with a full 12 minutes left in regulation.

The Steelers took over at their own 34. Roethlisberger hit Spaeth for 9 and Wallace for 11. A slant pass to Wallace went for 14 more. From the Green Bay 32, offensive holding moved Pittsburgh back. On 2nd and 18, a pass to Hines Ward set up 3rd and 3 from the 25. Big Ben may not be Jewish but that did not stop him from going deep to Wallace for the touchdown. The loss of Woodson was felt deeply as Tomlin decided on the 2 point conversion. Big Ben appeared to go up the middle on the option before pitching it out to Randle-El, who shook a tackle and got in the end zone. With 7 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Steelers were only down 28-25.

The Packers took over at their own 25 and Rodgers was sacked. On 3rd and 10 Rodgers went deep over the middle to Jennings for a 31 yard gain. At that point the Packers had thrown the ball 38 times and run it only 9 times. Starks ran it for 14 yards to the Pittsburgh 30. Rodgers found Jones for 21 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 8. Again, the Packers run the West Coast Offense which means they would not run the ball. A pair of short passes set up 3rd and goal at the 5. Rodgers went to the corner for Nelson. It bounced off of his fingertips, although it was overthrown. Mason Crosby kicked the 23 yard field goal. The Packers led 31-25 with 2:09 to play The Packers led 31-25 with 2:09 to play after the 10 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive.. The last time the Steelers were in this position they shocked Arizona for a Super Bowl win in the waning moments.

A line drive kickoff resulted in the Steelers at the 2 minute warning committing a critical personal foul on the return. With only one timeout left, Pittsburgh started at their own 13. 87 yards was the difference between who would win it all. Big Ben hit Heath Miller for 15 followed by a 4 yard pass that had the clock moving. Big Ben avoided a sack and fired incomplete to set up 3rd and 5 with one minute left. Roethlisberger went deep again incomplete as it all came down to 4th and 5. Roethlisberger fired again and the pass was broken up by Tremon Williams as all of Wisconsin erupted. With 49 seconds left Rodgers took a knee. Another knee with 15 seconds left as everybody on Green Bay mobbed Rodgers.

There were no cheerleaders. The commercials were awful, except for one funny commercial where a blonde got hit in the head with a soda can. Yet the game is the thing, and once again the NFL ended the season with a fine football game. The Steelers were classy in defeat and may still become a dynasty, but today is about the Packers. Aaron Rodgers was named the MVP of the game, and Charles Woodson kept his promise to go to the White House. Carolina is now on the clock as the Draft is 2 months and the 2011 kickoff is 7 months away. I will not even mention the L-word. There will be football in 2011. Let’s just enjoy the fact that the NFL is as good as it has ever been. The Lombardi Trophy has come home to Titletown. 31-25 Packers

eric

Super Bowl History 1966-2011

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Super Bowl History 1966-2011

The NFL (National Football League) began playing in the 1920s. In 1960 an upstart league known as the AFL (American Football League) came into existence. A war broke out between the two leagues, and the teams agreed in 1966 to start playing a game at the end of the year between the best team in each league. That game would eventually be known as the Superbowl. The leagues merged in 1970, forming the modern NFL. The NFL teams formed the NFC (National Football Conference), and the AFL formed the AFC (American Football Conference). Below is the history of football in the modern era.

1966–The Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Title game 34-27, when the Packers intercepted a pass in the end zone as time ran out. The Kansas City Chiefs were the AFL champions, and they and the Packers met in Super Bowl I. The Packers were heavy favorites, and their Coach Vince Lombardi did not want to lose to what he considered a Mickey Mouse League. Although the Packers only led 14-10 at the half, a key interception broke the game open, and the Packers crushed Kansas City in the second half. 35-10 Packers

1967–The Packers again defeated the Cowboys in the NFL Title Game. The game was known as the Ice Bowl, since the game was played in 13 degrees below zero weather. Down 17-14, on the last play of the game, from the one yard line, the Packers went for the win instead of the tie, partly due to the cold. Bart Starr followed Jerry Kramer’s block, and the Packers won 21-17. They played the Raiders in Superbowl II. The game was only 13-7 in the second quarter, but a fumbled punt set up a Green Bay field goal before the half. Like the previous year, the Packers romped in the second half, including Herb Adderly’s interception return for a touchdown. It was the 5th Packer championship in 7 years, and their second Superbowl win. Vince Lombardi, who the trophy is now named for, retired after the game. 33-14 Packers

1968–With Lombardi retired, the Packers were done. The Baltimore Colts represented the NFL. The New York Jets, led by Broadway Joe Namath, defeated the Raiders 27-23 in the AFL Title game for the right to play in Superbowl III. The Colts were 18 point favorites, and Joe Namath angered the Colts and his own teammates by saying, “We’re going to win. I guarantee it.” The world laughed, but on the second play of the game, Colts defensive star Rick Volk went out with an injury. Running back Matt Snell carried 30 times following left tackle Winston Hill. Colts quarterback Earl Morrall was intercepted four times. The Jets led 16-0 in the fourth quarter, when injured legend Johnny Unitas replaced Morrall. It was too little, too late. The Jets had shocked the world. The AFL was no longer an inferior league. 16-7 Jets

1969–The Minnesota Vikings represented the NFL. The Chiefs were the best AFL team. Although the Vikings were favored in Superbowl IV, The Chiefs smothered them. Len Dawson was calm at quarterback, and the Kansas City defense was relentless. Kicker Jan Stenerud added three field goals, as the Chiefs raced to a 16-0 lead and never looked back. The AFL had tied the NFL at two Superbowls apiece. The leagues merged the next year. 23-7 Chiefs

1970–The Cowboys finally got to the Superbowl, representing the NFC. The AFC team was represented by the old NFL team the Colts from two years earlier. Superbowl V was known as the Blunder Bowl, with the teams combining for 11 turnovers. Dallas led 13-6, and were one yard away from a 14 point lead. They fumbled the ball away. Still leading 13-6, an intercepted pass set up the tying touchdown late in the game. Another interception set up Jim Obrien for a 32 yard field goal to win the game. Rookie kicker Obrien had an extra point blocked earlier, but his kick was good, and the Colts had won at the buzzer. This was the only Superbowl where the MVP played for the losing team, that being defensive player Chuck Howley. 16-13 Colts

1971–The Cowboys got back again, and the AFC was represented by the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys were heavy favorites, and Superbowl VI was the only game where the losing team failed to score a single touchdown. Miami Coach Don Shula was also the coach for the Colts in their shocking loss to the Jets three years earlier. Tom Landry had yet to become a Dallas legend. The game was uneventful, as Dallas coasted. 24-3 Cowboys

1972–Superbowl VII had the Washington Redskins representing the NFC, with the Dolphins again representing the AFC. The Dolphins were unbeaten, and looking to make history. The Dolphins led 14-0 late in the game, when a field goal attempt to lock up the game went awry. The kick was blocked, and kicker Garo Yopremian tried to pick it up and throw it. It was picked out of the air by Mike Bass, who returned it 49 yards for a touchdown for the Redskins. They did get the ball back, but went nowhere. This was the first Superbowl where the offense for the losing team did not score at all. The Miami Dolphins remain the only team in the history of the NFL to get through a season unbeaten, finishing 17-0. Every year when the last team to lose a game does so, members of the 1972 Dolphins pop champagne corks. 14-7 Dolphins

1973–Superbowl VIII featured the defending Superbowl champion Dolphins against the NFC champion Vikings. The game was a blowout, as the Dolphins ran 20 first quarter plays to only three for Minnesota. Miami led 14-0 at that point, and due to the running of Mercury Morris, Larry Csonka, and Jim Kiick, Miami only threw the ball seven times. Miami won back to back titles, and the Vikings became the first team to lose two of them. 24-7 Dolphins

1974–Superbowl IX had the Minnesota Vikings in their 3rd Superbowl. The Dolphins were finally knocked out in an epic game with the Raiders 28-26 in the “Sea of Hands” game. For three straight years, the AFC Title game between the Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers was more epic than the Superbowl. In 1972, The Steelers defeated the Raiders in the “Immaculate Reception” game. In 1973 the Raiders throttled the Steelers. Both teams lost to the Dolphins. This year they were the big dogs. In Oakland, after 3 quarters, the Raiders led 10-3. They collapsed in the 4th quarter, as Pittsburgh exploded for 21 points and a 24-13 win. The Superbowl had the Purple People Eaters vs the Steel Curtain. It was all defense. The first half features only a safety and a 2-0 Steelers lead. A fumbled kickoff return to start the second half produced a Pittsburgh touchdown run by Franco Harris. Minnesota’s only touchdown came on a blocked punt. The extra point was no good. Pittsburgh led 9-6. Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers on the only real drive for either team of the entire game. 70 yards and much clock led to the final touchdown and Pittsburgh’s first title. The Vikings had lost their 3rd. 16-6 Steelers

1975–The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 17-14 in a very controversial NFC Title game. The AFC Title Game again featured the Raiders and Steelers. In ice cold Pittsburgh, the Steelers led 3-0 after 3 quarters. The offenses did get going, but the Raiders had their final drive end at the 5 yard line as the clock ran out. Pittsburgh prevailed 16-10. Superbowl X had the Cowboys leading 10-7 after 3 quarters. Early in the 4th, a blocked punt for a safety cut the gap to 10-9. Momentum swung, and Pittsburgh led 21-10 with time running out. Roger Staubach led the Cowboys to within 4 points, but his Hail Mary on the final play of the game was intercepted in the end zone. 21-17 Steelers

1976–The Vikings reached their 4th Superbowl. For the third straight year, the Raiders and Steelers met in the AFC Title game. The Raiders had the best record in the NFL at 13-1. The last week of the season, with home field advantage locked up, they could have lost their final game, rested their team, and eliminated Pittsburgh from playoff contention. By winning, Pittsburgh would be in. Many speculated the Raiders would lose to avoid Pittsburgh. This enraged the team, who throttled their final opponent, and demanded to face Pittsburgh. Oakland defeated New England 24-21, with 10 seconds remaining, to avenge their only loss of the season. They then finally beat Pittsburgh, destroying them 24-7. Superbowl XI was not close, with the image of cornerback Willie Brown returning an interception 75 yards for Oakland’s final touchdown. Minnesota lost their fourth Superbowl, and Oakland won their first. Owner Al Davis and coach John Madden finally reached the top. 32-14 Raiders

1977–The Raiders got back to the AFC Title Game for the 5th straight year, the only team to ever do so. They faced their archrival Denver Broncos, and the Broncos came out on top 20-17. The Cowboys represented the NFC in Superbowl XII. Bronco quarterback Craig Morton was the losing quarterback for Dallas in the 5th Superbowl. Roger Staubach led Dallas in their win the year later. Staubach won again, as Dallas cruised. It was their 4th Superbowl, and they had won and lost twice. 27-10 Cowboys

1978–Superbowl XIII had the Steelers back after a two year absence, against defending champion Dallas. This was the rematch of the Superbowl 3 years earlier. Pittsburgh led 21-14 when a short pass to a wide open Jackie Smith was dropped when he slipped and fell. Instead of the tying touchdown, a field goal cut the gap to 21-17, which was the score of their previous encounter. A pair of touchdowns 18 seconds apart put Pittsburgh up 35-17, and they hung on for a 4 point win for their 3rd Superbowl win. Dallas lost their 3rd Superbowl. Terry Bradshaw throwing bombs to Lynn Swann led to 4 catches for 164 yards. 35-31 Steelers.

1979–In the AFC Title game, Pittsburgh played the Houston Oilers for the second straight year. The previous year Pittsburgh won in a blowout, but this year it was a closer game. Houston thought they scored the tying touchdown, but it was ruled out of bounds. Pittsburgh won 27-13. The Los Angeles Rams, only 9-7 in the regular season, had won their division for the 7th straight year. In previous years they dominated, but could not get past Minnesota and Dallas. Superbowl XIV was supposed to be a Pittsburgh blowout, but the Rams led 19-17 after 3 quarters. Nevertheless, the Steelers took the lead, and sealed the game when Pat Haden was intercepted. The Steelers had their 4th Superbowl win in 6 years. 31-19 Steelers

1980–The AFC had all 5 playoff teams exactly at 11-5. The Oakland Raiders beat the Houston Oilers indoors, the Cleveland Browns 14-12 in the snow, and the San Diego Chargers in the rain, which slowed down the passing attack of “Air” Coryell and quarterback Dan Fouts. The Raiders were led by Jim Plunkett, who only a couple years ago was thought to be washed up. The owners of Oakland and San Diego hated each other, and Charger owner Gene Klein blamed Raider owner Al Davis for the rain, insisting that Davis hired a cropduster to seed the clouds. Davis has never denied this ludicrous assertion, because it burnishes his outlaw image. The NFC had 3 teams at 12-4, and the Cowboys defeated the Atlanta Falcons before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 10-7 in the regular season, but Superbowl XV was revenge. Rod Martin had 3 interceptions, and Jim Plunkett showed his talent. A swing pass to Kenny King went for 80 yards and a touchdown, and the special teams blocked a field goal. The Raiders won their second Superbowl, and coach Tom Flores, who had replaced the retired Madden a year earlier, reached the top. From a cultural standpoint, it was the first win with a Mexican head coach and quarterback. 27-10 Raiders

1981–The NFC Title game was an epic battle between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, led by coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana. In the final minute, Montana’s touchdown pass to Dwight Clark would forever be known as “The Catch.” The 49ers won 28-27 despite 6 turnovers. They played the Cincinnati Bengals in Superbowl XVI. The 49ers led 20-0 at the half. The Bengals cut the gap to 20-7 and then drove to the 49er one yard line. The 49ers then mounted an inspired goal line stand, with 4 plays gaining nothing. The Bengals did eventually cut the gap to 20-14, but a couple field goals by the 49ers put the game out of reach. The Bengals scored again with 17 seconds left, but could not recover the onsides kick. 26-21 Bengals

1982–A strike shortened season had the Cowboys reaching the NFC Title game for the 3rd straight year, with Danny White leading the team all three times. He was the team leader when Staubach retired. This year they played their hated rivals, the Redskins. For the 3rd straight year, the Cowboys lost. The Redskins faced the Miami Dolphins in Superbowl XVII in a rematch of the Superbowl 10 years earlier. With the Redskins trailing 17-13, Joe Theisman had his pass tipped, with a certain interception to put the Dolphins up by 11. At the last second, Theismann knocked the ball from the Miami “Killer Bs” defense for an incompletion. This kept the game within reach, and the Redskins took a 20-17 lead. Facing a 4th and 1 at the Miami 44, “The Diesel” John Riggins burst through and rumbled all the way for a touchdown to ice the game. It was the first Superbowl win for the Redskins, and the second loss for the Dolphins to even out their two wins. 27-17 Redskins

1983–The Redskins returned, and faced the Raiders, who were now located in Los Angeles. Earlier in the year, the Redskins defeated the Raiders 37-35 in a game for the ages. That game had a 99 yard touchdown pass from Plunkett to Cliff Branch, and a 97 yard punt return for a touchdown by Greg Pruitt. The Redskins led 20-7, and then the Raiders exploded for four touchdowns and a 35-20 lead. The Redskins then came back with a touchdown, a perfectly executed onsides kick, a field goal, and a final touchdown by Theismann to Joe Washington with 20 seconds remaining for the win. Only a missed field goal and a missed extra point during the season separated the Redskins from a 16-0 season. Superbowl XVIII was not close. Marcus Allen rushed for 191 yards, Plunkett threw a pair of touchdowns, and the Raiders scored on a blocked punt by Derrick Jensen, and an interception for a touchdown by Jack Squirek. The Redskins only touchdown was followed by the extra point being blocked. To quote Joe Theismann, “They handed us our @ss on the tray, and the tray was bent.” The Raiders won their 3rd Superbowl in 8 years, and the Redskins lost their second one. 38-9 Raiders.

1984–Dan Marino Shredded the NFL for 5084 yards in leading the Dolphins to a 14-2 record and the team’s second appearance in 3 years. Joe Montana led the 49ers to a 15-1 record and their second appearance. The Dolphins led Superbowl XIX 10-7 early on, but the 49ers took the game over. They led 28-10 when the Dolphins kicked a field goal before the half, recovered a fumble on the kickoff, and added another field goal before halftime. The second half was uneventful, as the 49ers shut down the Dolphins and extended their lead. San Francisco won their second Superbowl, and Miami lost their third Superbowl in 5 appearances. 38-16 49ers

1985–The Chicago Bears did their Super Bowl Shuffle, and their defense, led by Mike Singletary and Richard Dent, destroyed the league. Fiery coach Mike Ditka, with intense defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, were unrelenting. Maverick quarterback Jim McMahon led the offense, with legendary running back Walter Payton leading the running game. William “The Refrigerator” Perry provided the entertainment. The New England Patriots won three road games, starting out by beating the Jets. They then shocked the Raiders and the Dolphins, who were both considered superior. The Dolphins were the only team to beat the 15-1 Bears that year. Perhaps neither the Raiders or Dolphins would have won the Superbowl that year, but they would not have been intimidated. The Patriots opened and closed the scoring in Superbowl XX, but the Bears had an avalanche of points inbetween. 46-10 Bears

1986–The New York Giants won an NFL Championship in 1956, and in 1958 lost “the greatest game ever played,” to the Colts. This was their first Superbowl. They played the Broncos, led by John Elway. The Broncos led Superbowl XXI 10-7, but a safety cut the gap to 10-9. Denver kicker Rich Karlis missed field goals of 23 and 34 yards, deflating the team. The Giants defense poured it on in the second half, led by Harry Carson, George Martin, and Lawrence Taylor. Phil Simms had a Superbowl record for accuracy, completing 22 of 25 passes. Head coach Bill Parcells became the victim of a new ritual that season that is now cliche. Harry Carson was guy behind the idea of dumping the Gatorade bucket on the coach’s head. It was a way of getting back at the often irascible Parcells. During the Superbowl, he nervously looked around for the bucket, but was ambushed anyway. This was also the first year that the MVP, in this case Simms, announced that he was going to Disneyland. 39-20 Giants

1987–In another strike season, the Redskins prevailed in the NFC, while the Broncos returned for the second straight year. Denver’s first play from scrimmage was a touchdown bomb, and at the end of the first quarter, the Broncos led 10-0. A blowout was shaping up in Superbowl XXII. It was a blowout, but not for Denver. Washington had the best quarter in Superbowl history, scoring 5 touchdowns, including 4 touchdown passes by Doug Williams. He was the first black quarterback to play in the Superbowl, and he flourished. Unheralded running back Timmy Smith, who only lasted 3 years in the league, rushed for 204 yards, a current record. A 10-0 deficit became a 35-10 Redskins lead at the half. The second half was uneventful, as Denver lost for the 3rd time, and Washington won their second Superbowl in 4 appearances. 42-10 Redskins

1988–After 11 games, the 49ers were only 6-5, having just taken a beating to the Raiders. Montana was sacked 8 times in the 9-3 loss. The 49ers regrouped, finished 10-6, reached the NFC Title Game, and shocked the heavily favored Bears 28-3. They faced the Bengals, who defeated the Bills in the AFC Title Game. This was a rematch of the Superbowl 7 years earlier. Superbowl XXIII had different leader, with Sam Wyche instead of Forrest Gregg as coach, and Boomer Anderson at quarterback instead of Ken Anderson. The 49ers still had Walsh and Montana. They also now had a receiver that would become a legend, Jerry Rice. The game was 3-3 at the half, and with 3 minutes left, the Bengals led 16-13. The 49ers were 92 yards away, and Joe Montana earned his icy cool reputation by relaxing his teammates. With all the pressure on him, he said to his team, “Hey, is that John Candy in the stands? Cool.” The team relaxed, and Montana threw a touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left to win the game. Bill Walsh retired after the game, and the 49ers had their 3rd Superbowl win. The Bengals had lost their second one. Montana’s legacy was not done. 20-16 49ers

1989–The 49ers returned for their 4th appearance in 9 years, this time with a dominating 14-2 record. The Broncos returned for their 3rd appearance in 4 years. All 3 times they defeated the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Title Game. In 1986, John Elway led “the drive,” going 98 yards in the final minutes to tie the game and win in overtime 23-20. In 1987 they won 38-33 in the game know as “the fumble,” when Ernest Byner coughed it up near the goal line when it appeared he was about to tie the game. In 1989 the game was a blowout, with Denver downing Cleveland 37-21. Yet Denver was mauled in Superbowls, each time by a larger margin, losing by 17, 19, and 32 points. Superbowl XXIV was worse, the biggest blowout in history. A 45 point shellacking earned the 49ers their 4th Superbowl win, and the Broncos their 4th loss. 55-10 49ers

1990–The 49ers had the repeat, and were going for the “3-peat,” but fell short. They were 14-2, including a thrilling 7-3 defensive win over the Giants. Both of those teams started 10-0, and they met again in the NFC Title Game. It was another defensive thriller, and the Giants kicked five field goals. The fourth one cut their deficit to 13-12, but in trying to run out the clock, Roger Craig fumbled. The Giants recovered, and Matt Bahr’s 5th kick on the final play gave the Giants the 15-13 win and the trip to Superbowl XXV. The Giants were 13-3, with one of their other losses being to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills only won 17-13, but they had one of the greatest offenses of all time. The Giants held the ball for over 40 minutes to keep Buffalo off of the field. A safety by Buffalo seemed to be the difference, since their final drive had them down by one point instead of three. Jeff Hostetler had taken over when Simms was injured, and had played smartly. Yet he could only watch as Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas threw and ran the ball within field goal range. A 47 yard attempt by Scott Norwood on the final play had the world watching. The kick was wide right. The Giants had their second Superbowl win. Bill Parcells retired for the first of many times after the game. 20-19 Giants

1991–Superbowl XXVI Had the Bills and Redskins both getting back. The Redskins were 14-2, losing one game on a Hail Mary and another game on the last play in the final game when they had rested their starters anyway. So again they flirted with 16-0. After a scoreless first quarter, the Redskins proceeded to dominate, leading 17-0 at the half, and cruising to a 37-10 lead. Buffalo scored late to make the score close, and quarterback Mark Rypien was the MVP. The Redskins won their 3rd Superbowl in 10 years, and what made it more amazing was that coach Joe Gibbs did it with three different quarterbacks. 37-24 Redskins

1992–In the 70s it was the Raiders and Steelers. In the 1990s it was the Cowboys and 49ers. The AFC was an afterthought, with the Bills reaching the game for the third straight year. In the NFC Title game, after a 10-10 tie at the half, Dallas took over, and beat San Francisco 30-20. This was revenge for “The Catch” in the 1981 season, although that could have been revenge for Dallas defeating San Francisco in consecutive seasons in the early 1970s. Superbowl XXVII was a blowout, as Buffalo turned the ball over 9 times after taking an early 7-0 lead. down 14-7, an interception in the end zone prevented a tie. Dallas won by 35 points, and would have scored a record for points had Leon Lett not showboated and fumbled near the goal line. Jimmy Johnson yelled, “How ’bout them Cowboys!” The Gatorade bucket gained a new wrinkle when the players messed up his perfect hair, and owner Jerry Jones showed up on the sidelines with a comb to fix it. 52-17 Cowboys

1993–Superbowl XVIII was a rematch of the year before. The Bills reached the Superbowl for the fourth straight year. The Cowboys and 49ers met again in the NFC Title Game, which was an easy 38-21 Dallas win. Buffalo actually led 13-6 at the half, but on the second play of the second half, Thurman Thomas was hit and fumbled. The ball was returned for a touchdown to tie the game, and Dallas never looked back. They only led 20-13 after three, but put the game away in the fourth quarter. Troy Aikman and MVP Emmitt Smith brought Dallas its 4th Super Bowl win, and gave Buffalo their 4th loss. No other team has ever lost 4 straight. Despite the back to back titles, a feud between Jerry Jones and coach Jimmy Johnson led to Jones firing Johnson and replacing him with his friend Barry Switzer. 30-13 Cowboys

1994–Superbowl XXIX was considered over before it began. For the third straight year, the Cowboys and 49ers battled in the NFC, and this time the 49ers triumphed 38-21. The AFC had an overachieving San Diego Chargers team in their first Superbowl. Head coach Bobby Ross worked miracles, and quarterback Stan Humphries was tough. They defeated superior opponents in Miami and Pittsburgh, and seemed happy to just be in their first Superbowl. Steve Young, desperate to escape the legacy of Joe Montana, threw 6 touchdown passes and zero interceptions, and had the highest quarterback rating ever for a Superbowl. As expected, it was a blowout, and Coach George Siefert escaped the shadow of his predecessor Bill Wash, since the win 5 years ago was considered Walsh’s team. The 49ers became the first team to win 5 Superbowls, with zero losses. 49-26 49ers

1995–The Cowboys and 49ers were expected to meet for the 4th straight year in the NFC Title Game, but a Green Bay Packers team led by Coach Mike Holmgren, aka “The Walrus,” and a young maverick quarterback named Brett Favre, upset the matchup. Favre was the league MVP, and Green Bay shocked the 49ers in the playoffs. In the NFC Title Game, they led Dallas after 3 quarters as well, before Dallas took over. In the AFC, The Steelers survived a Hail Mary attempt on the final play to survive against the Colts, to go to the game they felt they should have been in a year earlier. For the third time, Dallas and Pittsburgh met. Dallas was the better team in Superbowl XXX, but the Steelers kept hanging around. Dallas led 13-0 and 20-7, but Pittsburgh closed to within 20-17. The key play was when Neil Odonnell threw his second interception to Larry Brown, whose gift in his breadbasket led to the 10 point finale. Dallas had their 5th Superbowl title in 8 appearances, and 3rd in 4 years, and Pittsburgh had their first loss in 5 trips. Jerry Jones and Barry Switzer won without Jimmy Johnson. 27-17 Cowboys

1996–Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers got back to the Superbowl for the first time in 29 years, and the New England Patriots reached the game for the first time in 11 years. Again, they benefitted from better teams being knocked out. The first quarter was the highest scoring in history, with New England leading 14-10. Yet by halftime, the Packers led 27-14. After the Patriots closed to 27-21, Superbowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard returned the kickoff 99 yards for the final points of the game. Bill Parcells took his second team to the Superbowl, but did not prevail. 35-21 Packers

1997–Superbowl XXXII had the Packers getting back with relative ease. The AFC featured the Broncos. The previous year the Broncos were favored in the AFC, and were shocked in the playoffs. The players even cried afterwards, saying they let John Elway down. He had three Superbowl losses, but this time the Broncos had running back Terrell Davis. The game was tied 24-24 in the 4th quarter when Elway made a leaping run for a first down. He spun like a pinwheel in the air, but made the yardage. The Broncos took the lead, and Brett Favre’s final drive stalled around midfield. Bronco Owner Pat Bowlen held the trophy and exclaimed “This one’s for John!” The Packers lost their first Superbowl, and the Broncos finally won one. 31-24 Broncos

1998–The Minnesota Vikings smashed the league and coasted to a 15-1 record with rookie receiver Randy Moss. They were practically a lock to finally win the big one when they collapsed in the NFC Title game. The Atlanta Falcons trailed 20-7, but fought back. With time running out, Minnesota still led 27-20, with Gary Anderson attempting a 40 yard field goal to lock up the game. He had not missed a kick all year, going 40 for 40, an NFL record. He missed this one, stunning the crowd. Yet The Vikings still led. Atlanta tied the game, and even though Minnesota got the ball first in overtime, it was Morton Anderson that kicked the winning field goal. Coach Dan Reeves was taking his second team to the Superbowl with a 30-27 overtime shocker. It was the first trip for the Falcons. In the AFC, The Broncos cruised during the regular season, but faced a tough Jets team led by Bill Parcells in the AFC Title game. He was trying to take a 3rd team to the Superbowl. The Jets blocked a punt and led 10-0 in the 3rd quarter, but the Jets could not overcome 6 turnovers, as the Broncos won 23-10. Superbowl XXXIII was not close, as the Broncos coasted to their second straight win. Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan took delight in beating the man who fired him in Denver, Reeves. John Elway retired after the game. 34-19 Broncos

1999–The St. Louis Rams had been a terrible team for a decade, but when Trent Green went down in the preseason with a knee injury, former supermarket checkout clerk Kurt Warner became a legend. For the next 3 years, the Rams offense was the “Greatest Show on Turf.” The Rams had relocated from Los Angeles several years earlier. Dick Vermeil had returned to the Superbowl after a 19 year absence, retiring form the Eagles in 1982, citing burnout, only to return to the league with the Rams in 1997. Marshal Faulk was the star running back, and offensive coordinator Mike Martz was a mad scientist calling plays. The Rams struggled in the NFC Title Game, but a late touchdown defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6. 20 years earlier they had defeated the Bucs in the NFC Title Game 9-0. The Tennessee Titans, led by Buddy Ryan disciple Jeff Fisher, represented the AFC. The Titans were the former Houston Oilers. The Rams led 16-0, but the Titans fought back. tying the game at 16-16 with 2 minutes left. One play later, Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner threw a 73 yard touchdown bomb for the go ahead touchdown. He passed for 414 yards on the day. Steve McNair led the Titans back to within striking distance with 5 seconds left. His pass to Kevin Dyson fell one yard short when Mike Jones made “The tackle.” Vermeil retired after the game. The Rams avenged a 24-21 regular season loss to the Titans in a thriller. 23-16 Rams

2000–The Minnesota Vikings were again cruising towards a Superbowl when they collapsed at the end of the season. They did make it to the NFC Title Game, but were throttled by the Giants 41-0. The Giants were 7-4, and reeling from back to back home losses, when Coach Jim Fassell made a bold prediction. He was considered laid back, but he told the press that “this team is going to the playoffs.” The AFC featured a shocking Baltimore Ravens team with one of the greatest defenses in history. Cocky coach Brian Billick, defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, and fearsome defensive standout Ray Lewis backed up the talk. They knocked out Tennessee’s Steve McNair from the divisional game en route to defeating the favored Titans. They then knocked out Rich Gannon from the AFC Title Game, eliminating the Raiders. The Ravens had almost no offense, going 5 straight games during the season without a touchdown, winning two of them. Trent Dilfer was considered a stiff by many at quarterback. Dilfer did throw an interception to Jason Sehorn for a touchdown, but it was called back by a penalty. The Ravens led 10-0 at the half. An interception return put the Ravens up 17-0, followed by a kickoff return for a touchdown by the Giants. The Ravens then took the next kickoff for a touchdown. Three touchdowns in less than a minute had the Ravens up 24-7. Superbowl XXXV was a blowout, and the Giants had lost their first Superbowl. The Ravens were the former Cleveland Browns, and Art Modell ignored the death threats, moved his team, and had his first trophy. Due to controversy surrounding Ray Lewis, Trent Dilfer got the Disneyland commercial. It did not matter, as Dilfer became the first winning Superbowl quarterback to be traded before the next season. 34-7 Ravens

2001–The Rams returned for the second time in three years, coasting to a 14-2 record. They were facing a Patriots team that had started the season with Drew Bledsoe and finished with Tom Brady. The Patriots had defeated the Oakland Raiders in overtime in a blizzard in a controversial game that would forever be known as the “Tuck Rule” game. The Rams were led by Mike Martz, and the Patriots were led by Bill Bellichick, who was determined to escape the shadow of his mentor Bill Parcells. The Rams had defeated the Patriots 24-17 in Foxboro during the regular season in a game that was not that close. Yet Superbowl XXXVI featured a Rams team that perhaps was overconfident. They were leading 3-0 when Ty Law returned an interception for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead. The Patriots led 17-3 in the fourth quarter, when the Rams finally woke up. With under 2 minutes left, the Rams had tied the game 17-17. The Patriots defense was out of gas, but Tom Brady had 90 seconds to work with. He had only 75 yards passing up to that point, but on the last play of the game, a 48 yard field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri was dead center. Perhaps the biggest upset since the Jets in the third Superbowl had taken place. 20-17 Patriots

2002–The Raiders, who had relocated back to Oakland several years earlier, were seeking to avenge their disputed playoff heartache of a year earlier. They had difficult playoff wins over the Jets and Titans. The Raiders started 4-0, fell to 4-4, and then finished 11-5. Rookie head coach Bill Callahan led the team, replacing John Gruden, who left to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Speaking of the Buccaneers, the entire 2002 NFC was full of shockers. The 12-4 Packers had never lost a playoff game at home, but were stunned by the Atlanta Falcons, led by young sensation Michael Vick. The Buccaneers played the NFC Title game against the heavily favored Eagles, who had beaten them six straight times. The Eagles led 7-0 one minute into the game, but this time the Bucs shocked the Eagles. Ronde Barber’s 92 yard interception returned sealed the 27-10 win, and sent John Gruden to face his old team. The Raiders intercepted a pass on the 3rd play of the game, setting up a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Bucs then crushed them, with a 34-3 lead. The Raiders did fight back, with a blocked punt for a touchdown, and were within 34-21 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. However, NFL MVP Rich Gannon was intercepted for a touchdown. On the very last play of the game, another interception was returned for a touchdown. The Bucs intercepted 5 passes, returning 3 for scores. Jon Gruden exclaimed, “How bout those Tampa Bay Buccaneers!” The team that started 0-26 and wore orange pants were now pewter wearing champions. They won the battle of pirates. “Chucky,” the nickname for Gruden based on his scowls, knew the entire Raider playbook in advance. As John Lynch said, “we saw these plays in practice.” Lynch, Derrick Brooks, and Warren Sapp delivered the Superbowl XXXVII win. 48-21 Buccaneers

2003–The Patriots finished 14-2, and faced the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers, who were led by Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was 14-0 as a starter. The Steelers had crushed the Patriots during the regular season, but the Patriots had injuries at the time. The Patriots were favored in the rematch, and they won handily 41-27 in the AFC Title Game. In the NFC, the Eagles were in their 3rd straight NFC Title Game, determined to avenge their shocker from the previous year. They were at home against the Carolina Panthers, a team that entered the league in 1995, and reached the NFC Title Game in 1996. The Panthers injured Philly quarterback Donovan McNabb in the game, although he played. Carolina won 14-3, and Philly had lost again. Superbowl XXXVIII was a thriller. The first quarter was scoreless, the Patriots led 14-10 at the half, and the third quarter was scoreless. The 4th quarter was an aerial show. Tom Brady and Jake Delhomme rained bombs, and Delhomme tied the game at 29-29 with little time left. They would have been ahead by three, but they failed on three two point conversion attempts. Coach Jon Fox regretted calling them afterwards. The kickoff after the tying touchdown went out of bounds, allowing the Patriots to start at their own 40 yard line. Again, for the second time in 3 years, Adam Vinatieri nailed a 48 yard line on the final play of the game. 32-29 Patriots

2004–Superbowl XXXIX again brought the Patriots back to the big dance. In the NFC, in their 4th straight NFC Title game, and 3rd one at home, the Eagles and head coach Andy Reid had finally made it over the top, defeating Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons. The game was tied 7-7 and 14-14, but the Patriots had a 24-14 lead late in the game. McNabb launched a furious rally, cutting the gap to 3 points. The Eagles did get the ball back, but ran out of time well short of field goal range. For the 3rd time in four years, the Patriots had won the Superbowl, each time by 3 points.

2005–The Indianapolis Colts, led by calm coach Tony Dungy and megastar quarterback Peyton Manning, had been torching the league on offense for several years. They just could not beat the Patriots, who had eliminated them in several straight games, often by one play. A missed field goal or a fumble at the goal line or a goal line stand would vex them. This year the Colts started 13-0, and were on their way. The Patriots had been eliminated, but the Colts were stunned at home by the Steelers. The Steelers jumped to a 21-3 lead. the Colts closed to 21-18, when Jerome Bettis, aka “The Bus,” was rumbling near the goal line for the final touchdown. He was hit, and fumbled. The Colts picked up the ball and were racing down the field for what appeared to be a miracle touchdown of their own. Ben Roethlisberger made the touchdown saving tackle at midfield. On the final play, Mike Vanderjagt missed the tying field goal. He simply choked, saving Bettis from becoming the goat. The game was also perspective for Dungy, who tragically lost his son a few months earlier. The football world felt bad for him. The Steelers played in Superbowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks, who were in their first one. They were led by Mike Holmgren, trying to win with his second team. The game itself had several controversial calls, and with the Steelers leading 14-10, Willie Parker ran for a 75 yard touchdown to ice the game. Coach Bill Cowher, after 15 seasons, finally had his ring. The Steelers had their 5th in six tries. Cowher would retire a year later. 21-10 Steelers

2006–The Indianapolis Colts finally got rid of the demons, throttling the Patriots in the regular season, and defeating them in one of the greatest AFC Title Games in history. From Raiders and Steelers to Cowboys and 49ers, the league was now Colts vs Patriots. The Chargers were 14-2 that year, but like previous Marty Schottenheimer coached teams, they melted down in the playoffs against the Patriots. An interception for a touchdown had the Patriots up 21-3 against the Colts, and it looked like the Colts were collapsing again. Manning throwing the ball was not getting it done, but Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes on the ground were chewing up yardage. Time consuming drives wore down the New England defense. The game was tied at 21-21, 28-28, and 31-31. The Patriots took the lead 34-31, but this time Peyton Manning finally lived up to his legacy. Keeping the ball on the ground, Addai ran it in for a touchdown with exactly one minute left. Tom Brady led the final drive, as Manning watched. Brady had won all their playoff games. Not this time. He was intercepted, and the Colts won 38-34. They played the Bears in Superbowl XLI. The NFC was awful that year, and any of the top four AFC Teams would have been favored. Bears quarterback Rex Grossman was the most criticized at his position since Dilfer. The Bears did have the most electrifying return man in the history of the game in Devon Hester. Not since Billy “White Shoes” Johnson had a return man been so celebrated. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and the Bears led 7-0 seconds into the game. Yet Dungy and Manning stayed patient, and led 22-17 in the fourth quarter. Rex Grossman had critical interceptions in the fourth quarter, with the last one being returned for a touchdown to ice the game. It was played in the rain in Miami, but mud did not stain the fact that Dungy and Manning had their ring. From a cultural standpoint, Dungy and Bears Coach Lovie Smith gave us the first Superbowl with two black head coaches. The men embraced after the game. 29-17 Colts

2007–The preordained AFC Title Game was again supposed to be the Patriots and Colts. The Patriots felt they had the upper hand by obtaining Randy Moss to go with an already potent offense. In the regular season, the Colts led 20-10, but the Patriots fought back and won the game 24-20. In the playoffs, the Colts were shocked by the San Diego Chargers. Led by Norvelous Norv Turner and backup quarterback Billy Volek, the Chargers stunned the Colts 28-24. The Chargers then lost to the Patriots. The NFC featured even bigger shocks, as the New York Giants, led by no nonsense coach Tom Coughlin and Peyton’s brother Eli Manning, stunned superior opponents. First the Giants defeated the 13-3 Cowboys 21-17, intercepting Tony Romo with seconds left. Then they defeated the Green Bay Packers in overtime, 23-20. Brett Favre and the Packers were also 13-3, and Favre was favored to get back to the Superbowl for the first time in over a decade, perhaps going out on top the way John Elway did. Yet it was much maligned Eli Manning and the Giants that made Superbowl XLII. It was also sweet for defensive star Michael Strahan, who contemplated retirement before the season.

Yet these teams played in the final regular season game in New York. Manning played well, but the Patriots won a thriller 38-35. The Giants finished 10-6. More shockingly, the Patriots finished 16-0. Owner Bob Kraft, personnel guru Scott Pioli, coach Bellichick, Brady, and Moss, looked to make history. The 1972 Dolphins nervously held their champagne bottles, knowing that their status as the only undefeated team in history was tenuous. That Dolphin team was 17-0. The Patriots, thanks to a schedule lengthened in 1978, were shooting for 19-0. The Giants were looking to shock the world. A game expected to be an offensive shootout was a defensive slugfest.

If anybody knew David Tyree before this game, they did not tell me about him. He was the Giants fourth receiver. Yet he entered the record books when Manning found him over the middle for a five yard touchdown pass. The Giants led 10-7 with 11 minutes remaining in the game. New England’s dynasty was now teetering. Yet despite the fact that Brady was getting hit on every play, he showed his championship toughness that champions exhibit when it matters most. He led the Patriots 89 yards, eating up over 8 minutes of clock. On 3rd down and goal, the Giants needed one more stop to force the tying field goal. They had stopped the Patriots the entire game. They could not stop them this time. Neither could the rest of the league. A touchdown pass to Randy Moss, who had been held in check the entire game, put the Patriots up 14-10 with 2:42 remaining. The Giants started at their own 17 yard line. They had all three timeouts plus the two minute warning. At the two minute warning, the Giants faced third and 10 at their own 28. Manning completed the pass to Amani Toomer, but Toomer had to come back for the short throw, leaving him less than a yard short. On 4th and 1, with everything on the line, the Giants were granted a measurement, allowing the clock to temporarily stop. This allowed the Giants to get up to the line.

They could have punted, given that they had all three timeouts, but going for it was the right call with 1:40 remaining. Battering ram Brandon Jacobs picked up the first down, and the Giants called their first timeout with 1:28 left. They were still at their own 38 yard line. The next play had Eli get caught after a five yard scramble, forcing the Giants to burn their second timeout with 1:20 left. Manning was almost intercepted on the next play, but the ball was just high enough. It bounced off the outstretched fingertips of Asanti Samuels. On 3rd and 5, a play occurred that will be in NFL history forever. One of the craziest plays I have ever seen occurred, and I saw it live. I still could not believe what I witnessed. Eli Manning stepped back to pass, and was caught in the pocket for what appeared to be a certain sack. There were two or three Patriots with a shot, and one had him by the Jersey. He spun out, and heaved the ball before being hit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtN_ooMjpvk

This was only half the miracle play that should forever be known as “The Scramble.” His Fran Tarkenton impersonation was fabulous, but the reception was even more spectacular. David Tyree, with Rodney Harrison defending him perfectly, caught the ball against his helmet one handed. Harrison tried to pry it loose, but somehow Tyree kept the ball lodged between his hand and his helmet. Going to the ground, the ball never touched the ground or came loose. That catch could not be made in the circus. David Tyree made it as Harrison and the rest of the world remained stunned. One minute remained, and the Giants were at the New England 25. Manning lobbed an end zone pass to Plaxico Burress. Burress had been silent the entire game, but he faked out Ellis Hobbs, who had intercepted Manning earlier. The 14 yard touchdown pass put the Giants up with only 35 seconds remaining. History had been smashed, obliterated, and poured upside down. 17-14 Giants

2008–This was one of the least sensible seasons in NFL history. Records, seedings, and momentum meant nothing. The Colts and Patriots were again expected to be the two best teams, but the entire league was turned upside down when Tom Brady went down for the season in Week 1 with a knee injury. Matt Cassel took over, and the Patriots went 11-5, becoming only the second team to miss the playoffs with that good a record. The Colts began 3-4, won 9 straight, and at 12-4 lost their wild card game to the 8-8 Chargers. The top 3 seeds in the NFC, the 12-4 Giants, 11-5 Panthers, and 10-6 Vikings all lost. The top AFC seed, the 13-3 Titans, were led by Kerry Collins, who took over in Week 1 from an injured Vince Young and never looked back. 3 teams reached the playoffs with rookie head coaches, with the Falcons and Ravens also possessing rookie quarterbacks as well. The 1-15 Dolphins of 2007 became the 11-5 Dolphins of 2008, with Bill Parcells in the front office. Nobody went 16-0, but the Lions became the first team to go 0-16.

The AFC Title game saw a brutal defensive bonelock between the # 2 seed Pittsburgh Steelers and their archnemesis Ravens, who had knocked off Tennessee in a head-crusher 13-10  The Steelers led 16-14 late when Troy Palomalu ran an interception back 40 yards to ice the game. The NFC Title Game featured a pair of teams that each won only 9 games. The 9-7 Cardinals finished 2-4 down the stretch before shocking the Falcons at home and the Panthers on the road. The Eagles were 5-5-1 before winning down the stretch and going 9-6-1. They beat the Vikings and then stunned the Giants, both on the road. In the NFC Title Game, the Cardinals led 24-6, the Eagles came back to lead 25-24, and the Cardinals finished the scoring for a gritty 32-25 win.

The Cardinals had Matt Leinart, who stayed on the bench as Kurt Warner turned back time. He had the Greatest Show in the Desert, and Coach Ken Whisenhunt was passed over for the Pittsburgh job in favor of the current coach Mike Tomlin. The Cardinals made their first Super Bowl appearance, and the Steelers wanted to be the first team to win six rings. The game itself was a thriller. On the last play of the half, with the Cardinals going in for a touchdown, Warner had a pass intercepted and returned 100 yards for a touchdown.

Late in the game Warner rallied the cardinals, and a slant pass to Larry Fitzgerald went for a 64 yard touchdown. Fitzgerald looked at himself on the jumbotron as the Cardinals had the lead 23-20 with under 3 minutes to play. Big Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers. With about a minute to go, Roethlisberger fired to the corner to the end zone. Santonio Holmes made a ridiculous ballet catch where he somehow got both of his feet down in bounds. The Cardinals had one final shot, but Warner was hit and fumbled. The Steelers won 27-23 to win their 6th ring. Mike Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win a ring at age 34.

2009–This was the first year since 1993 where both top seeds made it to the show. It was also the first time where 2 teams started 13-0. In an even bigger surprise, both of these teams then began losing. In the NFC, the 13-0 Saints lost their final 3 to finish 13-3. The Colts got to 14-0 before benching players and finishing 14-2. The team deliberately decided not to chase 16-0, preferring to ignore history and get players healthy.

In the AFC, the 9-7 New York Jets under Rex Ryan shocked the 13-3 San Diego Chargers and Norv Turner 17-14. The Jets led the Colts 17-6 before Peyton manning and the offense got going and won the AFC Title  Game 30-17. The NFC featured some legends. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals beat the Packers 51-45 in an OT thriller. The Saints dispatched the Cardinals 45-14 and then faced off against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Title Game. The Gunslinger and his offense outplayed the Saints, but costly turnovers killed the Vikings. In overtime, the Saints won 31-28 after some very controversial calls.

The Saints and Drew Brees were a feel good story, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Sean Payton was coaching in his first Super Bowl. As for the Colts, they were a corporate machine. Jim Caldwell was a rookie head coach sticking with the successful Tony Dungy model. Peyton Manning was looking to be the greatest quarterback of all time. The Colts made it look easy early on, taking a 10-0 first quarter lead. The Saints held the ball for 12 1/2 minutes in the second quarter and got to within 10-6 at halftime.

Sean Payton called for an onsides kick to start the second half. It was the first time an onsides kick had ever been called in a Super Bowl before the fourth quarter. Payton was rewarded for his balls of steel move as the kick bounced off Indy’s Hank Baskett’s helmet and led to a scrum that took over 2 minutes to unpile. Had it failed the Colts would have had the short field. Yet the Saints had the ball, as a stunned Colts defense had to go back on the field again. From the Saints 42, Brees quickly got it done.  From the Colts 16, Brees hit Colston for the touchdown as the Saints led 13-10.

Despite not being in the game for what seemed like forever, Manning turned the offensive ignition right back on. From the Saints 4, Addai finished the 10 play, 5 1/2 minute drive as Colts retook the lead 17-13 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Saints would make a field goal to get to within 17-16 and momentum changed for good when the Colts missed a very long field goal.

Brees then threw 5 straight short passes to 5 different receivers. Between hitting Thomas, Henderson, Bush, Colston, and finally Robert Meacham, the Saints were at the Colts 14. Then Brees hit Shockey for the 2 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 22-17. Brees found another different name on the 2 point conversion. Initially it looked like the pass to Moore was dropped. Sean Payton challenged the incomplete ruling. Again, Payton was rewarded, as the call was overturned and ruled a catch. The Saints had retaken the lead 24-17.

With 3 1/2 minutes to go, the Colts faced 3rd and 5 from the Saints 31. Manning was destined to tie the game 24-24, with the only question being which kicker would win a thriller in regulation. Perhaps the Super Bowl would go to overtime for the very first time. Every Super Bowl has memories to last forever, and Peyton Manning was abut to create one. Unfortunately for him and Colts fans everywhere, it was a bitter memory.

Manning threw his billionth slant pass, this one meant for Reggie Wayne. this was after having earlier nearly had one intercepted, and for completing a pass across the field that 2 weeks earlier allowed the Saints to intercept another icon and win the NFC Title Game. Manning went to the well once too often, and this pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter. Manning tried to make the tackle, but unlike a 2 time Super Bowl winner who made one in 2005 to preserve a win and beat the Colts, Manning is not a tackler. Porter was off to the races, pumping his fists as the French Quarter erupted in celebration. The Saints led by 14 points, and the only turnover of the game had the Colts needing a miracle.

On 4th and goal from the 5, Manning hit Wayne at the goal line. Wayne dropped it. Despite going 31 for 45 for 333 yards, Manning could not get the Colts a win. A stunned Colts team watched the Saints erupt in celebration. Brees, who finished a ridiculous 32 for 39 for 288 yards, was the MVP. The 32 completions tied a Super Bowl record. The Saints 31-17 victory was their first championship, and it lifted up an entire region of the country.

2010–Early preseason favorites Dallas and Minnesota collapsed to a combined 4-12, as both coaches got fired. Brett Favre did not repeat the magic carpet ride of the previous year as his 20th season was a tough one. His understudy Aaron Rodgers flourished in Green Bay. Despite being devastated by injuries, the Packers closed the season strong to finish 10-6 and make the playoffs as the # 6 seed. The Seattle Seahawks won their division with a 7-9 record, the first time a losing team made the playoffs. They even won their opening playoff game, eliminating defending champion New Orleans before falling to Chicago. Green Bay became the first ever NFC # 6 seed to win 3 road games. They went into Philadelphia and beat a resurgent Michael Vick and the Eagles 20-16. Then they went to Atlanta and throttled the # 1 seed 48-21. They went into Chicago and beat their archrivals 21-14 in a game that was not as close as the score indicated.

In the AFC, New England continued their winning tradition in the regular season by finishing 14-2. Indianapolis struggled throughout the season, but finished strong to barely make the playoffs at 10-6. The Steelers and the Ravens split a pair of defensive headknockers, both finishing 12-4 with Pittsburgh winning the tie-breaker. Yet the # 6 seed for the second straight season was the New York Jets, and Rex Ryan insisted they would run the table on the road. The Jets backed up their talk, stunning the Colts in Indy on the final play 17-16. Then the Jets went to New England, where several weeks earlier they had lost 45-3. They shocked the Patriots 28-21. For the second straight year they were in the AFC Title Game. They were at Pittsburgh, who won another tough one over the Ravens 31-24. Several weeks earlier the Jets went into Pittsburgh and won 22-17. This time the Steelers jumped to a 24-0 lead and withstood a furious Jets comeback to hang on for a gritty 24-19 win.

With Vince Lombardi and Art Rooney in heaven, a pair of the most storied NFL franchises will compete against each other. The Packers were the team of the 1960s, winning 5 NFL Championships including 2 Super Bowls. The Steelers of the 1970s won 4 Super Bowls. Since then each of these teams faded in the 1980s, but came back. In the 1990s the Packers won one Super Bowl and lost one. The Steelers lost one in 1995, then won it in 2005 and 2008.

Mike McCarthy is coaching in his first Super Bowl while Mike Tomlin is trying to become the youngest head coach to win it twice. Defensive Coordinators Dick Lebeau and Dom Capers each are given some credit for the invention of the Zone Blitz defense that turned Pittsburgh into Blitzburgh. Capers is now with Green Bay. Ben Roethlisberger is playing in his 3rd Super Bowl in 6 years. He began the year under controversy but is seeking redemption. Aaron Rodgers is publicly classy but any man in his position would be seeking vindication to escape the shadow his predecessor left. The Steelers are seeking a record 7th Super Bowl victory. Their 8th appearance ties that record.

Are you ready for some football!

Superbowl XLV is here! Packers vs Steelers!

Let’s get it on!

eric

The story of the Egyptian revolution

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Every time I try to get to the recent healthcare ruling, the situation in Egypt gets more intense.

I have said many times that foreign policy will always supersede domestic policy. What I mean by this is that domestic policy can temporarily be put at bay. Serious domestic policy initiatives, whether they be healthcare reform, fixing Medicare and Social Security, or welfare reform, take time to develop. Even situations considered “in crisis” will not wreck the world if a Thursday decision gets pushed back to Friday. Needing a problem fixed “now” really means “soon.” Yet situations involving war change by the hour. Sometimes waiting a day to do something can be catastrophic. Domestic policy matters, but foreign policy takes precedence because the dangers in waiting even a brief moment can be deadly.

With that, today will be one of those rare days when I “outsource” my column.

A young Egyptian man named Sam Tadros wrote an absolutely brilliant description of what is really going on in Egypt. I found his writing to be non-partisan and credible. He is less about analysis and more about providing a lengthy and incredibly informative descriptive. He eventually does get to some analysis. I disagree with his final conclusion, but absolutely respect his insight. He may very well be right. He is there. I am not.

I found the column on American Thinker, one of the best political websites in the country.

(Full Disclosure: I once appeared on a panel with Thomas Lifson and Richard Baehr of American Thinker. Richard is a friend of mine. Several of my articles have been published in American Thinker, but I am not employed by them or have any official business relationship.)

Back to Mr. Tadros. His article is very lengthy, but worth reading from beginning to end.  With that, I present the insights of Mr. Sam Tadros regarding every aspect of the situation in Egypt.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/the_story_of_the_egyptian_revo.html

“My apologies for the length of this article, but I see it as extremely important to tell the whole story as it happened.

The Story of the Egyptian Revolution

One week ago, Egypt was a stable authoritarian regime, prospects of change were minimal and every expert in Washington would have betted on the endurance of its regime. Today, Egypt is in a state of chaos. The regime, even after using its mightiest sword is not able to control the country and the streets of Egypt are in a state of utter lawlessness. As the world stands in awe, confusion, and worry at the unfolding events, perhaps it is important to write the evolving story that is happening in Egypt before any reflections can be made on them.

Contrary to pundits, it turns out that the Egyptian regime was neither stable nor secure. The lack of its stability is not a reflection of its weakness or lack of a resolve to oppress. It is a reflection of its inherent contradiction to the natural desire of men to enjoy their basic freedoms. Egyptians might not know what democracy actually means, but that does not make the concept any less desirable. Perhaps it is precisely its vagueness and abstraction that makes the concept all the more desirable.

For two weeks calls were made using new social media tools for a mass demonstration on the 25th of January. Observers dismissed those calls as another virtual activism that would not result in anything. Other calls in the past had resulted in very small public support and the demonstrations were limited to the familiar faces of political activists numbering in the hundreds. As the day progressed, the observers seemed to be correct in their skepticism. While the demonstrations were certainly larger than previous ones, numbering perhaps 15,000 in Cairo, they were nothing worrisome for the regime. They were certainly much smaller than the ones in 2003 against the Iraq War. The police force was largely tolerating and when they decided to empty Tahrir Square, where the demonstrators had camped for the night, it took them less than 5 minutes to do so.

But beneath that, things were very different. The social media tools had given people something that they had lacked previously, an independent means of communication and propaganda. Hundreds of thousands of young Egyptians in a matter of minutes were seeing the demonstration videos being uploaded on youtube. For an apolitical generation that had never shown interest in such events the demonstration was unprecedented. More remarkable they were tremendously exaggerated. At a moment when no more than 500 demonstrators had started gathering in that early morning, an Egyptian opposition leader could confidently tweet that he was leading 100,000 in Tahrir Square. And it stuck.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that after 58 years of organized state propaganda, people would not believe for a second the government’s media machine and its coverage of the events. Why they chose to believe the alternative propaganda needs more explaining. People believed the twitter messages and the facebook postings because they wanted to believe them. Tunisia had broken the barrier for many people. It mattered not that the situation and ruling formula in Tunisia is very different than the one in Egypt. Perceptions were more important than reality. If the Tunisians could do it, then so could we. With 15,000 demonstrating in Cairo, Egyptians were already texting each other with stories of the President’s son escape. The only debate being whether Hosni Mubarak would escape to London or Saudi Arabia.

The next day the demonstrations continued with a promise of a return on Friday the 28th after Friday Prayers in Mosques. The regime started panicking at this moment. This was simply something they did not understand. Imagine for a second Mubarak’s advisors trying to explain to the 83 year old dictator what twitter is in the first place. What was more worrying for them was that the only real force in Egyptian politics, the Muslim Brotherhood, announced its intention of joining the demonstrations. Suddenly they were faced with the prospect of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators from every Mosque in the country. They acted as every panicking authoritarian regime would act. They acted stupidly.

The internet was cut off in Egypt. Mobile phone companies were ordered to suspend services. With tools of communication disrupted the regime was hopeful that they had things under control. Simultaneously they started standard arrests of Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Things seemed for them under control. But they weren’t. With every stupid panicking move by the regime, the narrative of its weakness was only reinforced for the people. People saw a regime that was scarred of the internet and they rightfully calculated that this was their golden opportunity.

Friday was an unprecedented event in Egypt. While it is impossible to guess the number of protestors on the streets that day, it is safe to say that they exceeded one million. Every Mosque was a launching site for a demonstration. The Islamists were out in full force. The slogans that day were quite different than the previous ones. Islamic slogans and activists were clearly visible. The security forces were faced with wave after wave of protestors that came from every street. In 4 hours, the security forces were collapsing.

Whether Mubarak was fully previously told about the deteriorating situation for the previous days or whether it was at this moment that he suddenly realized the gravity of the situation remains unknown. One thing is sure; the regime was not prepared for this. It is at this moment that the decision was taken to call in the army, announce a curfew, and withdraw thesecurity forces. In reality the army did not deploy immediately. The troops and tanks that appeared in the streets were the Presidential Guard units deployed in Cairo.

The army was actually still far away from deploying in Cairo. Because no one had imagined that the situation would totally be out of control, the level of alert of the army was never raised. Officers were not called from their vacations and the whole top command of the Egyptian army was actually thousands of miles away in Washington for strategic prearranged discussions at the Pentagon. Moreover, the plan of deployment of the army never imagined a scenario where people would defy it. No one imagined that the army would be required to put a tank in every street. They thought that the mere mention of the army being called in, the sight of a few tanks, and the announcement of the curfew, would make people immediately go home scared. People did not.

The Egyptian army is hugely popular. This is due to the established mythology of Egyptian politics. The army, which is in all aspects the regime, is seen as separate by the people. The army is viewed as clean (not like the corrupt government), efficient (they do build bridges fast), and more importantly the heroes that defeated Israel in 1973 (it is no use to debate that point with an Egyptian). With the troops and tanks appearing in the streets, people actually thought the army was on their side, whatever that might mean. With an announced Presidential addressed that kept being delayed; Egyptians prepared themselves for an announcement of Mubarak’s resignation.

Mubarak was at a loss. The troops could not possibly shoot people. That would not only destroy the army’s reputation, but more importantly the troops practically could not do it. These guys after all were not trained for this. They do not have rubber bullets or tear gas. They only have live ammunition and tanks and the thought of actually using them in this situation was never an option. To the surprise of the regime, people just celebrated the army’s arrival and started dancing in the streets defying the curfew. More importantly something else was happening as well. The looting was starting.

The decision to withdraw the security forces was a natural decision. First they were utterly exhausted and needed the rest to regroup. Secondly, as the security forces had become the symbol of the regime’s oppression their withdrawal was seen as necessary to calm things. Thirdly and most importantly, in the protocol of operations there could not possibly be two forces with arms in the same street receiving orders from two different structures of command. Even with the best of coordination, a disaster is bound to happen.

What was not calculated however is the fact that suddenly a vacuum was created. The security forces were withdrawn and the army was not deployed yet. In this gap an opportunity presented itself for everyone. The scenes were unbelievable. First there was massive anger vented at symbols of state oppression such as the ruling party’s headquarters. More drastically, in what can only be described as systematic targeting, police stations everywhere were attacked. Every police station in Cairo was looted, the weapons in them stolen and then burned. At the same time, massive looting was taking place. Even the Egyptian Museum, which hosts some of the world’s greatest heritage, was not spared.

Saturday was indescribable. Nothing that I write can describe the utter state of lawlessness that prevailed. Every Egyptian prison was attacked by organized groups trying to free the prisoners inside. In the case of the prisons holding regular criminals this was done by their families and friends. In the case of the prisons with the political prisoners this was done by the Islamists. Bulldozers were used in those attacks and the weapons available from the looting of police stations were available. Nearly all the prisons fell. The prison forces simply could not deal with such an onslaught and no reinforcements were available. Nearly every terrorist held in the Egyptian prisons from those that bombed the Alexandria Church less than a month ago to the Murderer of Anwar El Sadat was freed, the later reportedly being arrested again tonight.

On the streets of Cairo it was the scene of a jungle. With no law enforcement in town and the army at a loss at how to deal with it, it was the golden opportunity for everyone. In a city that is surrounded with slums, thousands of thieves fell on their neighboring richer districts. People were robbed in broad daylight, houses were invaded, and stores looted and burned. Egypt had suddenly fallen back to the State of Nature. Panicking, people started grabbing whatever weapon they could find and forming groups to protect their houses. As the day progressed the street defense committees became more organized. Every building had its men standing in front of it with everything they could find from personal guns, knives to sticks. Women started preparing Molotov bombs using alcohol bottles. Street committees started coordinating themselves. Every major crossroad had now groups of citizens stopping all passing cars checking their ID cards and searching the cars for weapons. Machine guns were in high demand and were sold in the streets.

I do not aim to turn this into a personal story, but those people are my friends and family. It is a personal story to me. My neighbors were all stationed in my father-in-law’s house with men on the roof to lookout for possible attackers. A friend of mine was shot at by a gang of thieves and another actually killed one of them to defend his house and wife. Another friend’s brother arrested 37 thieves that day. The army’s only role in all of this was to pass by each area to pick up the arrested thieves. Army officers informed the street committees that anyone with an illegal weapon should not worry and should use it. Any death of one of the thieves would not be punished.

On the political front the story was evolving. More troops were pouring into Cairo. Mubarak decided to appoint Omar Suliman as Vice President and Ahmed Shafik as Prime Minister. Both are military men, Suliman being the Chief of the Egyptian Intelligence Service and Shafik being the former commander of the Air Forces. To understand the moves one has to understand the nature of the ruling coalition in Egypt and the role of the army in it.

The Egyptian regime has been based since 1952 on a coalition between the army and the bureaucrats. In this regard it fits perfectly into O’Donnell’s Bureaucratic Authoritarian model. The army is fully in control of both actual power and the economy. Ex-army officers are appointed to run state enterprises and high level administrative positions. More importantly the army has an enormous economic arm that runs enterprises as diverse as construction companies and food distribution chains. In the late 90’s this picture began to change.

It is no news for anyone following Egyptian politics that Gamal Mubarak, the President’s son was being groomed to follow his father. In reality, the elder Mubarak was never fully behind that scenario. Whether it was a real assessment of his son’s capabilities or of the acceptance of the army to such a scenario, Mubarak was hesitant. It was his wife who was heavily pushing that scenario. Gamal, step by step started rising inside the ruling NDP party. With him he brought two groups to the ruling coalition. First were the Western educated economic technocrats trained in international financial institutions they shared what is generally described as neo-liberal economic policies labeled the Washington Consensus. Secondly was the growing business community that was emerging in Egypt. Together they started the process of both restructuring the Egyptian economy and the ruling party.

For the technocrats it was the fiscal and economic policy that was their domain and they performed miracles. The Egyptian economy under the Nazif government showed unprecedented growth. The currency was devalued, investment was pouring in, and exports were growing. Even the economic crisis did not dramatically effect Egypt. The real disaster in all of this however is that no one actually rationalized or defended those policies to the Egyptian public. The country was moving towards a full capitalist system but no explained why that was needed or why it was ultimately beneficial. While such restructuring is naturally painful for a population that was dependent on the government for all its needs, the people were fed the same socialist rhetoric nonetheless. It mattered very little that the country was improving economically, people did not see that. It is not that the effects were not trickling down, they were. It is that the people were used to the nanny state for so many years that they could not understand why the government was no longer providing them with those services.

Businessmen greatly benefited from the economic improvement. Business was good and political aspirations started to emerge for them. First it was a Parliament seat that they desired. It offered immunity from prosecution after all. With Gamal however, they suddenly had a higher opportunity. Gamal wanted to recreate the ruling NDP party. The NDP, never actually a real party and more of a mass valueless organization of state operation was suddenly turning into a real party. Businessmen like Ahmed Ezz, the steel tycoon saw a golden opportunity. They took full control with Gamal of the party and with it power.

The army never liked Gamal or his friends. Gamal had never served in the military. To add insult to injury his friends were threatening the dominance of the army. The technocrat’s neo-liberal policies were threatening the army’s dominance of the closed economy and the party was becoming step by step an actual organization that competes with the army officers in filling administrative positions. Suddenly the doors to power in Egypt were not a military career but a party ID card. As long as the President was there however, the army was silent. The army is 100% loyal to the President. He is an October War hero and their Commander in Chief. He is seen as an Egyptian patriot by them who has served his country well. Moreover Gamal Abdel Nasser having conducted his own military coup in 1952 put mechanisms in the army to ensure that no one else would do the same and remove him.

With the unfolding events the army was finally able to put its narrative to the President and have his support behind it. The army’s narrative is that Gamal and his friends ruined it. Their neo-liberal policies alienated people and angered them with talks of subsidies removal, while his party gang destroyed the political system by aiming to crush all opposition. Mubarak in the past had mastered the art of playing the opposition. The opposition was always co-opted. Sizes in Parliament differed in various elections, but there was always a place there for the opposition. The last elections in 2010 were different. No opposition was allowed to win seats. By closing the legitimate political methods of raising grievances, the opposition chose the illegitimate ones in the form of street demonstrations.

Today the Egyptians are scared. They have been given a glimpse of hell and they don’t like what they see. Contrary to Al Jazeera’s propaganda, the Egyptian masses are not demonstrating anymore. They are protecting their homes and families. The demonstration last night had 5,000 political activists participating and not 150,000 as Al Jazeera insists. At this moment, no one outside of those political activists cares less now if the President will resign or not. They have more important concerns now; security and food.

So where are we today? Well the answer is still not clear, yet a couple of conclusions are evident.

1.      The Gamal inheritance scenario is finished.

2.      Mubarak will not run for another Presidential term. His term ends in October and either he will serve the rest of his term or will resign once things cool down for health reasons, which are real. He is dying.

3.      The army is in control now. We are heading back to the “golden age” of army rule. The “kids” are no longer in charge. The “men’ are.

4.      Until the economy fails again, the neo-liberal economic policies are over. Forget about an open economy for some time.

Immediately the task of the army is to stabilize the situation and enforce order. The security forces have been ordered to reappear in the streets starting tonight. The next task will be to deal with the political activists and the Muslim Brotherhood which now dominates the scene. It is anyone’s guess how that will be done, but in a couple of days the Egyptians will probably be begging the army to shoot them. Third stage will be to return to normal life again with people going back to their jobs and somehow food being made available. Later on however will come the political questions.

The long term challenges are numerous. First you have a huge economic loss in terms of property destroyed. The minute the banks will be reopened, there will be a run on them and capital flight will be the key word in town. It is of course quite natural that for some time no one in his sensible mind will invest in Egypt.

Politically, the army will aim at returning to the pre-Gamal ruling formula. People will be appeased by raising salaries and increasing subsidies with the hope of silencing them. Will it be enough? That is doubtful. The Egyptians have realized for the first time that the regime is not as strong as it looked a week ago. If the army did not stop them, how will they ever be silenced? Moreover they are greatly empowered. Egyptians today feel pride in themselves. They have protected their neighborhoods and done what the army has failed to do. This empowerment will not be crushed easily.

Security wise the situation is a disaster. It might take months to arrest all those criminals again. Moreover no one has a clue how the weapons that were stolen will ever be collected again or how the security will ever regain its necessary respect to restore public order after it was defeated in 4 hours. More importantly, reports indicate that the borders in Gaza were open for the past few days. What exactly was transferred between Gaza and Egypt is anyone’s guess.

You seem to wonder after all of this where El Baradei and the Egyptian opposition are. CNN’s anointed leader of the Egyptian Revolution must be important to the future of Egypt. Hardly! Outside of Western media hype, El Baradei is nothing. A man that has spent less than 30 days in the past year in Egypt and hardly any time in the past 20 years is a nobody. It is entirely insulting to Egyptians to suggest otherwise. The opposition you wonder? Outside of the Muslim Brotherhood we are discussing groups that can each claim less than 5,000 actual members. With no organization, no ideas, and no leaders they are entirely irrelevant to the discussion. It is the apolitical young generation that has suddenly been transformed that is the real question here.

Where Egypt will go from here is an enigma. In a sense everything will be the same. The army that has ruled Egypt since 1952 will continue to rule it and the country will still suffer from a huge vacuum of ideas and real political alternatives. On the other hand, it will never be the same again. Once empowered, the Egyptians will not accept the status quo for long.

On the long run the Egyptian question remains the same. Nothing has changed in that regard. It is quite remarkable for people to be talking about the prospect for a democratic transition at this moment. A population that was convinced just two months ago that sharks in the Red Sea were implanted by the Israeli Intelligence Services is hardly at a stage of creating a liberal democracy in Egypt. But the status quo cannot be maintained. A lack of any meaningful political discourse in the country has to be addressed.  Until someone actually starts addressing the real issues and stop the chatterbox of clichés on democracy, things will not get better at all. It will only get worse.”

As I said in the beginning, I disagree with the very final conclusion about the “chatterbox of cliches about democracy.” I believe we should loudly be speaking about a secular democracy, with the emphasis on secular. Yet I absolutely defer to the wisdom of Mr. Tadros. If there was a flaw in his logic or a chink in his presentation, I failed to find it.

I only outsource my column when I am absolutely convinced that people will benefit. Mr. Tadros summed up the situation far better than I could, and I thank him for his comprehensive expression.

I also wish him and the people of Egypt luck. They deserve it and will need it.

eric

Egypt and Los Angeles

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

I look at Egypt and see my home in Los Angeles.

The Washington Times explains why.

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2011/feb/2/rioting-and-protests-egypt-los-angeles/

eric

Mubarak steps down while Obama stands down

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

America is on the verge of becoming the Abdication Nation.

Some are surprised that Hosni Mubarak has agreed to step down as the leader of Egypt when his term expires later this year.

I saw this coming. I caused it. In 1968, once RFK decided to enter the race, LBJ dropped out.

42 years later, Mr. Mubarak saw the handwriting on the wall when I announced my intention to lead Egypt. It is no coincidence that hours after I enter the race, he surrenders.

Yet the situation in Egypt is not about Hosni Mubarak. It is not even about me. It is bigger than both of us.

This is about the Egyptian people.

They have a chance at becoming a real functioning secular democracy.

Some conservatives are wringing their hands over the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood will take over.

This must stop. Too many Americans, even on the right, are too reluctant to use power for fear of being labeled a “bully.”

The American way of life is better than the Middle East existence. It is superior. Those disagreeing can feel free to go live in the Middle East. Immigrants come to America legally and illegally by the truckloads because our way of life is the model of excellence.

We give Egypt two billion dollars per year. President Obama has every right to let it be clear that no money will be given to any government led by the Muslim brotherhood. This is what President George W. Bush did with Hamas. He was right.

Leftists will claim that this is meddling in foreign affairs. Nonsense. It is our money.

So yes, American absolutely must take steps to ensure that the new government that takes over in Egypt is pro-American.

This is not happening because the imminent leadership vacuum in Egypt is matched by a leadership and moral vacuum in the White House.

Ronald Reagan said “Tear down this wall.”

George Herbert Walker Bush said “This will not stand.”

Barack Obama points his finger and says “let me be perfectly crystal clear,” which is followed by ambiguous double-talk that says everything and nothing.

President Obama needs to stand up. Instead he has decided to stand down.

The right thing to do is to loudly and emphatically pledge to help the Egyptian people on their path to democracy, freedom, and liberty. When this succeeds, his job will be to enhance our role as the chief trade negotiator. Bi-lateral trade will lift up both economies. This happens when democracies work together.

The Egyptian people want to hear that America will not abandon them. If I were an Egyptian right now, I would not feel terribly confident in American support.

Mr. Obama’s approach is to effectively tell those fighting for freedom that they are on their own.

Either we stand for something or we don’t. Either we are a beacon of light or a mirage.

Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush advanced the cause for liberty. These were not empty words. They were a global commitment that America honored.

Actions have reactions, and those reactions can be painful. Yet inaction and indecision is a certain losing proposition.

It is not too late for Barack Obama to develop some gumption. He needs to stop being so cautious and using polls and focus groups in place of guiding principles.

On domestic policy, Mr. Obama has clear principles. I disagree with them, but at least he has them. He is prepared to go to the mat for his health care plan.

He needs to develop that same steel spine on foreign policy matters.

The fate of the world is at stake. With Groundhog Day approaching, President Obama needs to come out of his hole and stop being scared of his shadow.

Ronald Reagan once said that he did not need other people to tell him what he believed because he knew what he believed.

Barack Obama had better get to that point rapidly. Otherwise he will become the next Jimmy Carter. Given what Iran has become, a similar outcome in Egypt is untenable.

The world is watching, but Mr. Obama cannot be doing the same. We are followers. He needs to lead.

Stand up Mr. Obama. Let the citizens of Egypt know you unequivocally support an unfiltered secular democracy.

It is the right thing to do.

eric

Egyptian Presidency available–updating my resume

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

I was going to write about the health care bill being declared unconstitutional, but until the U.S. Supreme Court rules, this health care bill is still as dangerous as a potential Al Gore presidency (shudder).

Healthcare is a serious topic, and I am trying to avoid serious topics so that I can prepare for my February 13, 2011, navel gazing competition with President Obama. I am very worried that I have not had time to practice. Unlike the president, I am busy doing things. I have responsibilities. Without adequate training, I will not stand a chance in a navel gazing contest with him.

So healthcare battles can wait. Besides, foreign policy will always supersede domestic policy in terms of importance. Egypt is on fire. Hosni Mubarak is on the verge of possibly seeing his 30 year reign end. Concerns worldwide exist over whether he will be succeeded by the Muslim Brotherhood or a more moderate secular governing coalition.

I have decided to recommend a compromise candidate…me.

Becoming the next leader of Egypt is not an easy undertaking. For one thing, getting ahold of the country’s human resources department is a nightmare. Forget merely being kept on hold…even the phone call itself is expensive.

I am not sure what the financial situation is in Egypt, but it cannot be worse than California. I could help Egypt by doing what Hank Paulson did and Arnold Schwarzenegger did not. I could sell toxic assets. Maybe I could even sell the Sinai Peninsula back to Israel. Let them deal with the headache.

Some may say that my being Jewish could pose a problem leading an Arab nation. Well leftists should support my quest because it would be great for diversity. America elected a black man to lead a majority white nation. Having a Jewish person running an Arab nation would be fabulous in terms of affirmative action.

Given that Israel is the only nation where Arabs have any kind of basic human rights, I would say Arabs have done pretty well being led by a Jewish leader.

Egypt does not have oil wealth, but it has a wealth of beautiful women. Some of them may have to “voluntarily” convert to Judaism, but that is a small price to pay for a better nation. A satiated ruler makes for a happy ruler which makes for happier citizens.

I am not sure if Egypt has cable tv, but I am pretty sure they do not have DirecTV with the NFL package. They are not into American football, but that is what happens when an Arab dictator keeps people in the dark ages for three decades. If soccer is not misery I do not know what is.

I have updated my resume, and am fully prepared to assume the mantle of control once some contingencies are taken care of. The Suez Canal needs to have a waterslide attached to it so kids can have fun in the Summer sliding from one nation to another with ease. Lifeguards will be assigned to prevent drowning and the smuggling of weapons.

Also, I am not a fan of Middle Eastern food. It is not bad, but until McDonalds and Coca-Cola are on every third block, it will not be a good nation to rule.

Additionally, Egypt will be forced to follow the example of Arizona and refuse to change the clocks back ever for any reason. Forget Daylight Savings Time. It just confuses people.

Also, I will be changing the name of the country from Egypt to Palestine. Then I will refuse to allow the Palestinians from Gaza to enter anyway just for fun. Why? Because I can.

Do not be fooled that these thoughts are actually good practice for the navel gazing competition. I can do both. I can space out and lead an entire country. Heck, look at Joe Biden. Looking useful, busy and competent is almost as tough a skill as actually being these things.

The day after my navel gazing competition is Valentine’s Day. Nothing says the gift of love like being chosen the world’s newest autocrat.

My resume is ready. I look forward to somebody in the human resources call center letting me know that I have at least been granted an interview.

I hope it is a telephone interview. With all due respect to the people of Egypt, they are in a worse state of chaos as Detroit. Ok, not that bad, but close.

Until things get resolved, I will imitate the current American leader and just sit on the sidelines.

Like him, once the hard work is done I will be ready to show up, smile for the camera, issue meaningless words, and have praise heaped upon me just because I like it.

I really do hope I get this Egypt leader job thing. I don’t want to stay that long, but like Hillary Clinton, I am fine with taking a job I know nothing about just to build my resume.

If I do a good job running Egypt, I may even try being Mayor of Oakland.

Jerry Brown did that job. How hard can it be?

Once I can get the internet and information blackout lifted in Cairo, I look to end the NFL blackout lifted for Raider home games.

eric