Championship Week: Rivalries part of the journey to North Texas

Winner of rivalry game to come on down to Texas

We're ready for y'all!
Courtesy of wildbillswestern.com.

There is a lot of excitement here in North Texas about the upcoming Super Bowl XLV.  I live an estimated 30 minute drive from Cowboys Stadium if there isn't anything going on.  There is no way any visiting Super Bowl attendee will step foot or car in my town unless they are driving down I-35E on their way into the city.  But we have banners on the light poles in town with the Super Bowl logo proudly waving in the wind.  We have tons of commercials about Super Bowl events, the sports radio station has a countdown with an exciting moment in North Texas sports history for the 45 days before the game, and the Super Bowl experience event at the convention center is almost ready for visitors.  (I will at least go down and take my picture by the giant XLV outside.)  Needless to say, there's excitement in the air.

Packers vs. Bears 1941 Western Division Championship.
Courtesy of AP/NPR.

Today's championship games determine who will play in our beloved Cowboys Stadium.  The Steelers-Jets game will be exciting but it has none of the history and rivalry as the Packers-Bears game.

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have the longest rivalry in NFL history beginning in 1921 and have played 181 games to date.  The one and only time the teams have met for a playoff game was Dec. 14, 1941 for the Western Division Championship with the Bears winning 33-14.  Chicago currently leads the all-time series 92-83-6.  NPR has an excellent article about the game here with an interview with a 95-year-old Packer fan.

All sports fans love to talk rivalries and there are lists of the greatest for every sport.  The writers always include the Yankees and Red Sox, Cowboys and Redskins, Celtics and Lakers, Texas and Oklahoma college football, Duke and UNC basketball, and Army and Navy college football.  I enjoy sports but, honestly, I got a little bored reading these lists while my husband was excitedly confirming the rivalries.

It would be interesting if rivalries extended beyond the world of sports.  If there were rivalries between actors, fashion designers, or magazines that were published and monitored, that would be more exciting for me.  I'm sure the editors of Marie Claire compete with Vogue for readership, but that's not published for the rest of us to cheer on our favorite magazine.

A (sort of) rivalry in recent news is a bet between Oprah and Piers Morgan on which talk show host will gain an interview with Michael Vick.  The Eagles QB was asked about the bet and said he thought Oprah would win because he's never heard of Larry King's replacement.

Social engagements of NFL players

A recent airport pic of
Kristin in a Bears hat.
Courtesy of a creepy fan's blog.

This week the media in Chicagoland has been discussing one important question that you may not have considered: will Kristin attend today's game?  The Kristin they are speaking of is QB Jay Cutler's girlfriend and reality show star Kristin Cavallari.  A friend of the couple told the local media that Kristin doesn't want to be another Jessica Simpson so she has been staying out of the spotlight at games.  The Chicago Tribune sighted the couple at a restaurant on Friday night, so she is in town!

Chad Ochocinco had a lovely birthday surprise when former president Bill Clinton stopped by his party in Miami.  Clinton was in Miami for speaking engagements on behalf of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.  He stopped by Ochocinco's birthday after having dinner with Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez.

Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, just received the honor of "Best Body" in the 14th Annual Famed Hottest Looks survey of Beverly Hills plastic surgeons.  This honor reflects the fact her body shape is the most requested by those receiving plastic surgery.

Divisional Playoffs: Football + Family = Fun!

Big Ben is Getting Married to Lil' Ashley

A photo of Ashley Harlan from 2009.
Courtesy of ncnewsmedia.com.

Several sources say Ben Roethlisberger is engaged to Ashley Harlan, an employee of Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.  The wedding is planned for July.  Harlan's hometown newspaper has the scoop here.  Local residents unnamed in the article said Ben asked for her hand in marriage on Christmas morning and an engagement party took place on New Year's Eve.

Harlan was a three-sport athlete in high school and earned a bachelor's degree in health science and also has a master's degree.  There are no official comments affirming this information by either party or their families.  Apparently Ben was advised to keep things quiet until after the season.  The Steelers will be playing in the AFC Championship next week.

Some of the lovely family I saw this weekend.

Let's Talk Family

I spent time with my wonderful family this weekend, so it's the perfect time to talk about the families in the NFL.  There are families who own and manage the teams, but I would like to talk about the fathers, sons, and brothers who compete against each other on the field and then sit at the same dinner table afterward.

Our new coach in Dallas has combined family and football for a long time.  Jason Garrett and his two brothers, John and Judd, played college football under their dad, Jim, at Columbia University.  The brothers all transferred to Princeton after their dad left Columbia.  Jason is now the head coach of the Cowboys while John is an assistant coach and Judd is the director of pro scouting.  Their dad, Jim, has held positions with several teams and was a scout for the Cowboys for several years.

Another member of an NFL family has recently joined the Cowboys coaching staff.  Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator in Dallas.  His twin brother, Rex Ryan, is the head coach of the Jets.  From the '70s to the '90s, their father, Buddy Ryan, spent time holding both of those positions with five different teams.  I can only hope Rob didn't get the "big mouth" gene like his brother.

The Manning family at home in New Orleans in 1996.
Courtesy of nytimes.com.

The most publicized NFL family is the Mannings.  Of course, Peyton is the starting QB for the Colts, Eli is the starting QB for the Giants, and their dad, Archie, played for the Saints.  The oldest Manning son, Cooper, does not play football because of a spinal condition and is a business man in New Orleans.  Everyone knows about these guys because they're in commercials together and have allowed the NFL to show family videos whenever the brothers face each other on the field.

Another set of QB brothers are the Palmers of Cincinnati: Carson and Jordan.  Carson was the second true freshman to ever start for USC in school history.  Carson earned the Heisman Trophy in 2002 and was the first player selected in the 2003 draft.  Younger brother Jordan played at UTEP (the University of Texas at El Paso, where I saw him play a few times) and was drafted in the sixth round of the draft in 2007.  Jordan is currently the backup QB to his big brother.

Bruce and Clay Jr. in the 80s.
Courtesy of wikipedia.com.

The Matthews family may be the only one who could be considered a dynasty.  It all began with Clay Matthews Sr., who played for the 49ers in the 1950s.  He played one season, left for the Army during the Korean War, and then played four more seasons.

His eldest son, Clay Jr., played 19 seasons and 278 games (16th most in history).  He was the 12th overall pick in the 1978 draft and a four-time Pro Bowler.  Clay II's sons are in the family business also.  Clay Matthews III was the 26th overall pick in the 2009 draft and is a key player for the Packers (you may have noticed his long blond hair).  He has been selected to the Pro Bowl for both of the seasons he has played.  If you watched the college national championship, you would have seen Clay's brother, Casey, playing for the Oregon Ducks.

Another one of Clay Junior's sons, Bruce, played for the Oilers/Titans franchise for 19 years.  Bruce was voted to the Pro Bowl 14 times and is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in history.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a member of the 1990s All-Decade Team.  His son, Kevin, was signed as a free agent by the Titans in 2010.  A younger son, Jake, plays for Texas A&M.

Wild Card Weekend: The men with clipboards

Coaches: Big bucks but big blame

The talk near the end of the season is all about who's staying and who's going.  This week teams are proving they deserve to play for a championship, while coaches are struggling to prove they can lead a team to a Super Bowl.  The teams who are already done for the season are restructuring from the top to the bottom in order to gain the players and staff needed for a successful 2011 season.

My two teams have already decided to remove the word "interim" from head coach and make it official.  While some teams conduct interviews and job performance reviews, let's take a closer look at the men with headsets and clipboards.  I wanted to dig up some dirt about the coaches, but it's too dirty!  Google Rex Ryan or Bill Belichick if you really want to know.  I had to list accomplishments and say nice things this time.

Jeff FIsher

Jeff Fisher.
Courtesy of titansradio.com.

As the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Jeff Fisher is the longest tenured head coach with one team among active coaches.  He has held the position since 1994, when the team was still the Houston Oilers.  Fisher played at USC and was a 7th round pick for the Bears in the 1980 NFL draft.  He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Bears but suffered a career ending leg injury at the hands of (future coach) Bill Cowher.  He is married to Juli and is the father of Trenton, Tara, and Brandon.

Bill Cowher.
Courtesy of cbssports.com.

Bill Cowher

Now Cowher is one of my favorite commentators, but he also holds the title of youngest coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl at age 38.  He coached the Steelers for 15 consecutive seasons.  He met his late wife, Kaye, while at North Carolina State University.  She was a basketball player in college and also played in the Women's Pro Basketball League in the late 1970s.  She died of skin cancer in 2010.  Coach Cowher has three daughters who all played basketball in college.

Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy.
Courtesy of tampabay.com.

In 2007, during his tenure with the Colts, Tony Dungy was the first black head coach to win the Super Bowl.  That win also made him the third man to win the Super Bowl as both a player and as a head coach.  The next season he set a record for most consecutive playoff appearances by a head coach.

Coach Dungy is known for being a successful leader on and off the field.  As a coach, Dungy thought of himself as a teacher and a role model to his players.  He didn't believe yelling and belittling players was the only method.  Dungy also believed that he should coach each player in the same way, no matter if they were a starter or a 3rd string player.

Dungy was appointed a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation by President Bush in 2007.  President Obama invited Dungy to be a member of the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, but he declined because he wouldn't have been able to attend all the meetings.  He agreed to participate as an informal adviser.

Coach Dungy is involved in several community and charitable organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Prison Crusade ministry, Mentors for Life, and Family First.  His memoir was the first NFL-related book to be No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.  Dungy also authored a Bible study based off the memoir, two leadership books, and a children's book.  He and his wife, Lauren, have seven children.

Jack Del Rio

Jack Del Rio.
Courtesy of nerdsonsports.com.

As the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jack Del Rio is currently the best dressed (in my opinion).  He has a Super Bowl ring as an assistant coach with the Ravens.  After high school, Del Rio was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, but chose to attend USC instead.  As an All-American football player, Del Rio was voted MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl.  On the USC baseball team, he played with future major leaguers Mark McGuire and Randy Johnson.  He was drafted into the NFL in the third round by the New Orleans Saints.  Del Rio became the head coach of the Jaguars in 2003.

One of Del Rio's claims to fame is that in 2006 he became the second coach to wear a suit on the sideline since 1993.  Coaches were required to wear Reebok clothing until another coach petitioned to wear a suit and the NFL ruled coaches could wear suits twice a season.  Del Rio and his wife Linda have four children, including one son who currently plays QB in high school.

Couples News

The tabloids have been reporting that Kendra and NFL hubby Hank Baskett are splitting up.  According to an interview with Kendra on people.com, this is just not true and the couple is happily married.  Baskett is still listed on the Vikings roster.

Justice News

The ESPN website reported this week a Nashville judge decided to put more than $1 million into trust funds for the two sons of the late Steve McNair and his wife Mechelle.  This is in addition to the $500,000 the boys received in October.  McNair was killed by his mistress in July 2009.  McNair died without a will and the $19 million estate is still being settled.

Week 17: Endings & Beginnings

Christmas & New Years - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Sports ...

Happy Holidays from Jason & Michelle
Witten.
Courtesy of dallasnews.com.

The holiday season is full of parties, events, family, and sports.  Christmas Day featured a special NFL game, a day full of NBA games, and a couple of college football bowl games.  Every day since then, there has been at least one bowl game on television.  New Years Day is the day for bowl games and the NHL Classic.  Does anyone actually have time to watch all of these games?

We had the pleasure of watching the Cowboys game on Christmas Day, even without NFL Network, thanks to the Dallas CW station.  Before the game, we watched "A Cowboys Christmas," which featured Tony Romo interviewing his fiancee and several other players with their families.  (Click here to watch part of the special.)  We also watched the Vikings game on Tuesday night with my parents.  It was great watching the Vikes beat the Eagles in spite of having to wait out the blizzard.

Today, of course, is the last week before the playoffs.  None of my favorite teams are going to make it.  So I'll wait to see what happens today and then pick someone to follow to Cowboys Stadium for the Super Bowl.

... Weddings and Babies Too

Apparently, the holiday season is a great time to get engaged, married, or to have a baby.  After Tony Romo and Candice Crawford were engaged, many other celebrities have been announcing engagements, surprise weddings, pregnancies, and the birth of babies.  No other NFL players have big news, but I'm hoping Michael Vick gets married or the Manning brothers become fathers in 2011.

Brett Favre to Retire (Again)

This is how we should remember Favre.
Courtesy of SI.

The Vikings are playing their last game of the season today and Brett Favre says it's also his last game (again).  Since it is his last game (for the fourth time), he wanted to play but will be inactive due to the concussion that occurred during the game at the University of Minnesota.  

I really hope that Favre stays retired this time.  Both his pride and body would have benefited from not getting on that plane this season, but he can't change the past.  He definitely needs to go home, recuperate from all of his injuries, and lay low for a while.  He is a talented player, but made the mistake of trying to play too long.

Hopefully, Jenn Sterger is done with Favre also.  I don't know if she was looking to make money or just hurt Favre's reputation, but she ended up doing neither.  The commissioner couldn't conclude that Favre did anything inappropriate and he was fined $50,000 for failing to fully cooperate with the investigation.