Swag Award February 2-8

On paper, the matchup was one that bookmakers and sports enthusiasts alike salivated over. The first time since 1994 that two #1 seeds faced one another in the Super Bowl. Two of the games most prolific offenses and two of the games most accurate quarterbacks duking it out for one of the most coveted prizes in all of sport; The Lombardi Trophy.

On paper it appeared that the Indianapolis Colts were the better team. Led by 2009 league MVP Peyton Manning, and well-rested after a 14-0 start the Colts seemed poised to win their second title in four years.

Outcomes are not decided on paper, and that my friends is why we play the game.

For the first 15 minutes of the game the New Orleans Saints, the laughing stock of the NFL for many seasons, the expansion team that hadn’t reached a Super Bowl in its first 43 years of existence looked every bit less experienced than their counterparts from Indy.

New Orleans could have rolled over at the end of the 1st quarter when they were down 10-0 and didn’t show any signs that they were capable of slowing down Peyton Manning’s methodic passing attack. New Orleans could have rolled over in the 2nd quarter when Indy stopped back-to-back runs on 3rd and 4th and goal, but they didn’t.

A wise man once told me that “a true champion prevails despite the circumstances,” and that is what the Saints did coming out of halftime. Despite being a slight underdog, and facing a 10-6 deficit at the half, the Saints put together an impressive 30 minutes of football; starting with a recovered onside kick to begin the second half.

That play, the first time an onside kick was attempted in a Super Bowl before the 4th quarter, was a game-changer and the catalyst the propelled the Saints to a 25-point second half and their first ever Super Bowl title.

It’s hard to not to root for a team like the Saints. There’s no way to measure what a Super Bowl title does for the spirits and emotions of the city of New Orleans, and the surrounding gulf region that is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. I think sports fans around the league won’t mind yelling out a resounding “Who Dat!??” in honor of the Saints’ tremendous season.

Any successful person will tell you that winners take risks, and the New Orleans took the necessary risks in Super Bowl XLIV to be crowned World Champions at games end. To the victor goes the spoils. Swagger!

Swag Award of the Week December 7-13

I am proud to announce that the "Swag Award of the Week" goes to Mark Ingram, RB from Alabama who was awarded the Heisman Trohpy this past weekend. Ingram was the offensive catalyst for the Crimson Tide team that went 13-0 this season and will face Texas for the national championship in a few weeks. In true Heisman form, Ingram brought his A-game to the biggest stages this season; 150 yds at Virginia Tech, 140 yds at Kentucky, 172 yds at Ole Miss, 99 yds vs. Tennessee, 144 vs. LSU & 149 at Mississippi St.

Those performances, while important in preserving Alabama’s national championship hopes paled in comparison to the show he put on against Florida in the SEC Championship game. At the time, Florida and ‘Bama were ranked #1 & #2 respectively and many fans and sports writers alike billed the matchup as the real national championship. Whether it was national championship or not, Ingram treated it as such and carried ‘Bama literally and figuratively 28 times for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 32-13 drubbing of the heralded Gators.

For the majority of the college football season, Ingram remained a dark horse in the Heisman ballots, trailing Colt McCoy of Texas, Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow. The afore mentioned players all had a great deal of hype surrounding them, and NFL scouts water at the mouth when considering their draft prospects. Throughout the season Ingram remained on everyone’s radar, but was never considered the front-runner even as his team continued to win largely due to his efforts, in the toughest conference in the country.

See Mark’s emotional acceptance speech:

Alabama, one of the nation’s most storied football programs had never had a Heisman winner until Mark Ingram changed all of that. I think over 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns for an undefeated team in the SEC makes a very strong case. A case that sports writers ultimately could not overlook this year in the closest Heisman race ever. Ingram beat Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by merely 5 votes. Mark Ingram proves that despite the circumstances, the obstacles, the hype, if you are confident in yourself and your abilities then the sky is the limit. Now that's what I call swagger. Congratulations Mark.

Check out some of Ingram’s highlights from this season:

Mike Vick speaks for the first time since his release

Yesterday evening Mike Vick, former NFL superstar turned convict spoke to James Brown of CBS Sports on 60 Minutes for his first formal interview since his release from prison following a two year stint for bankrolling an intrastate dogfighting ring.

In the interview Vick told Brown that the magnitude and severity of his actions did not really sink in until the door of the prison cell slammed shut in Leavenworth, Kansas. He also said that he initially lied about the allegations because he was scared, and knew his career was in jeopardy and also, that lying to his sponsors, teammates and Falcons owner Arthur Blank backfired on him tremendously.

Vick's interview was one of the more honest, sincere interviews I've seen in a while, especially compared to A-Roid's interview a few months back with Peter Gammons of ESPN.

Personally, I'm happy the Vick is back in the league. I think he is contrite, humbled, and eager to revive his NFL career and his standing in the eyes of the public. Vick has a team of image coaches assisting him with his return to game. Former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who regularly visits prisons to speak with inmates has been serving as a mentor to Mike for months. Vick has also teamed up with the Humane Society and has already begun making appreances to speak out against cruelty to animals.

I have enjoyed watching Mike Vick play football since his college days. His athletic prowess was/is undeniable. Everyone makes mistakes, and he has without question paid the price for the biggest mistake of his life. I wish him all the best on his road to redemption.

Are you ready for some football??

Apparently Reggie Wayne is, as he showed up to the Colts training camp a few days back in a dump truck..

Equipped with his hard hat and lunchbox, Wayne said he was ready to start rebuilding the road to the the Super Bowl. If you remember, it was Wayne & the Colts who won Super Bowl XLI back in 2006 beating the Chicago Bears 29-17.

Good luck this year Reggie. Usually antics like this would have been all over the TV, but it's hard to get in the limelight with Mike Vick trying to make a comeback, Steve McNair's untimely death, T.O.'s realty show, and Brett Favre's saga. Gotta love the NFL. Getcha popcorn ready.

James Harrison has better things to do than meet President Obama

James Harrison has become the latest athlete to say/do something that average Joe's with average common sense would scoff at. In a recent interview, Harrison expressed his sentiments and voiced his opinion as to why he didn't feel the need to make the trip to the White House with his team to  meet the President this week.

"If you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. So as far as I'm concerned, he would have invited Arizona if they had won."

No sh*! Sherlock! The President doesn't invite losers to the White House. He doesn't have the time nor the inclination. Obviously if the Steelers had lost Arizona would have gotten the invite. Every championship team, professionally and on the collegiate level gets an invite to the White House for a photo-op with the President, autographs and a tour. 

Harrison needs to get off his high horse and realize that  the opportunity to meet the President is a direct result of the Super Bowl victory. A victory that Harrison contributed to by scoring the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. It's hard for me to understand why a professional athlete cannot comprehend that that we value achievement in this country. You work hard, you win, you reap the benefits. End of story. 

Despite a Super Bowl ring, being named Defensive Player of the Year, and the recent signing of a six year $51 million contract, Harrison still feels like he is owed something by someone...To use another Jay-Z quote; "you can pay for school but you can't buy class." Ignorance apparently is bliss.

NFL Legend, John Madden retires

John Madden announced his retirement today after a long, successful career in football. Hired at the age of 32, Madden became the NFL's youngest head coach. In his 8 seasons, Madden and the Raiders went 103-32-7 (best winning percentage in NFL history), and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI.

After leaving the Raiders, Madden stepped into the announce booth where his success continued, winning 16 Emmy's for his work. 

The Madden video game franchise has also been a hit, selling over 65 million copies on a host of video game consoles. I've been playing Madden since Sega Genesis days...

I had the pleasure of working with John last season as a production associate for Sunday Night Football, a season that culminated in a last minute victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. Some say that game was the best Super Bowl in NFL history.

He's a great guy, with a wealth of football knowledge. It will be hard to watch football and not hear his voice. Congratulations John on all of your accomplishments.

Officer Ryan Powell resigns amid controversy

Officer Ryan Powell, the gentleman who severely delayed Ryan Moats and his wife as they were trying to visit a dying relative has resigned. If you aren't familiar with the case, check my previous post on the situation.

Moats and his wife sat down with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America on Monday to share their side of what happened that night. The couple forgave the officer, and said that while they had not gotten one yet, an apology would be accepted. 

Kudos to Ryan Moats and his wife Tamishia for remaining so civil despite the blatant disrespect Officer Powell showed, and unnecessary stress this event has caused. I don't know how they have done it. The loss of a mother/mother-in law is a substantial burden in itself, and combined with the additional stresses that have been placed on that family, one can only imagine what they are going through.  

The entire GMA interview with Robin Roberts:

As I said before, the Moats family spoke to Robin Roberts on Monday. Yesterday, Officer Powell sat down with a local TV station in Dallas to offer an apology and give his side of the story.

Despite the fact that the Moats family has been gracious, declined to press charges, and accepted Officer Powell's apology, I guess the fallout in and around Dallas was too great and Officer Moats decided that it would be in his and the police department's best interest to part ways. I can't say that I'm disappointed or shocked by this news. 

Which athlete has the best pregame intro???

Over the last few days, there has been a fair amount of debate surrounding Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James. The debate is over which one of the NBA superstars has the best pregame intro. Recently, LeBron & his teammates have been taking "group photos"  and getting a lot of media attention for it.

Shaq, being the jokester that he is, challenged LeBron, and decided that he could one-up LeBron with his own intro...a bowling routine he conjured up with his teammates.

I'm opening up the debate to you guys. Who has the better, funnier, more original intro? There is a poll in the upper right corner where you can vote. Before you do, I want to open in up to two of my favorite NFL intros; Ray Lewis' & Brian Dawkins'.  

Arguably two of the most intense defensive players in the league, their pregame intro are no different.

Ray Lewis' pregame dance:

Brian Dawkins. Now I'm sure what he's supposed to be doing here, maybe some kind of beast or animal...not sure, but I love it.

Ok, you've seen the dances. Go ahead and cast your votes. Voting ends Tuesday, March 31. Thanks for supporting BDumasonline.com. Tell your friends.

Jay Cutler wants out of Denver

The situation has gone from bad to worse for Jay Cutler and the Denver Broncos. As of last night, Cutler and his agent formally expressed Jay's desire to be traded to another team following a meeting of the minds with Cutler, his agent, and the Broncos new head coach Josh McDaniels.

This thing has been brewing for a few weeks now, and tempers began to flare after it became known that Denver expressed interest in acquiring Matt Cassel from New England a few weeks ago. Prior to becoming head coach in Denver, McDaniels was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach for New England so it makes sense that he would try to bring in a guy that he was very familiar with to his new team.

After Cassel was signed by Kansas City, Denver tried to save face and make amends with their young, talented QB. Cutler was drafted 11th by Denver in the 2006 NFL Draft. Cutler has loads of potential, but since he has taken the helm in Denver, the Broncos have not made the playoffs. The Broncos were on the verge of a playoff berth last season, but Cutler threw 2 interceptions in the final game of the season, a 52-21 drubbing versus San Diego. The win propelled the Chargers to the AFC West title, and sent Denver home for the offseason.

I think Jay knew this day was coming, as he and his parents both placed their homes in the Denver area up for sale last week. Cutler has a strong arm, and has proven he has the potential to be a great QB in the league. There are a lot of teams looking for a good signal caller this season. Jay should be on someone's roster fairly soon. 

TTYL T.O. : Cowboys Cut Terrell Owens

Getcha moving vans ready!! Terrell Owens, one of the NFL's premiere receivers was released yesterday by the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys will take a $9 million salary cap hit, but that mattered not to the team because they wanted him gone. 

Owens is coming off of a season where he caught 69 passes for over 1,000 yds and 10 touchdowns. Impressive numbers, but not his best season by far.

While he was putting up those numbers, Owens was also criticizing his offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, QB Tony Romo and Cowboys tight end Jason Witten for conspiring to exclude him from the offensive scheme.  

That criticism helped to lower locker room morale, and keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs with a 9-7 record. 

Owens wasn't the lone culprit responsible Cowboys' collapse. Tony Romo was lackluster at the end of the season as well.

T.O. will now be seeking employment with his fourth team. He burned the Golden Gate bridge in San Fran, he burned the Ben Franklin bridge in Philly. Dallas doesn't even have bridges and he somehow messed up there too. 

It's a shame that at age 35, and with so much talent, T.O. can't just keep his mouth shut and catch the ball.