The Knights pushed their record to 22-1 after avenging their sole loss on the season. They defeated Indianapolis, 93-79, and also set a school record with their 17th STRAIT win. Bellarmine continued to do what they have done all season with each player playing their role. Jeremy Kendle, teams leading scorer, topped the charts with 28 and the Swiss army knife that is Braydon Hobbs chipped in 17 and 10 assists. Indy had a balanced scoring attack with 5 players in double figures but balanced scoring was not enough. The Knights were really never challenged as they maintained a mid-teens lead through out the game. One concern that showed up again was ball security. The Knights had 14 turnovers last game and gave it away 18 this game, which led to 23 pts off of turnovers for the Greyhounds.

The game clinched the regular season title in the GLVC but two of it’s rivals are still on the schedule with back to back games against USI and KWC. The home crowds have been great and StraitPinkie is pushing to sell out the last regular season home game next Saturday with KWC coming in for senior night at 8pm at Knights Hall

On Paper
Ny Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The game pits the two top teams in the NHL Atlantic Division in an afternoon battle. The reason the Flyers are in second place…The Rangers! The teams have played four times this year with New York taking each game. Philly is 2-3 in their last 5 and really need to stop the Rangers if they want to keep the top spot in their sites. The Rangers are 6-3-1 in the last 10 and have surprisingly kept their form throughout the season. Marian Gaborik leads the NY attack with 26 goals on the season while the Flyers are lead by Scott Hartnell with the same total. If the Flyers want to break their fall, the defense is going to have to step up and the net minder is going to have to stop the shots. Their last meeting, 6 days ago, saw the Rangers score 5 goals and who ever is in goal, Bryzgalov or Bobrovsky, can’t let that happen for Philadelphia.
NYR 2 Phi 3

Upset Potential
Jerry Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky is upset…because he can’t feed his dog a biscuit on his back porch. Is that really what he is concerned about?

Don’t Bother
Stopping Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin’s first 9 games he logged minutes this season he scored a total of 30 points. Last night against the Lakers he scored 38! In fact his last four games he has scored 25, 28,23, and 38. This is the same guy that scored 76 points in all of last year for the Golden State Warriors. In his junior and senior seasons at Harvard, the current top 25 Ivy League school, Lin averaged 17 and 16 points respectively. His senior season in a game against UCONN he put up 30 points. Jeremy Lin is 6’3″ guard from Palo Alto, who has taken the NBA by surprise. I just hope Spike Lee makes a movie for this guy.

Follow @StraitSportsG on Twitter

Knights Hall was rocking, in front of a sellout crowd of 2450. Bellarmine took the lead at 6-5, with over 16 mins in the first half, on a 3 pointer by Keisten Jones and never looked back. By half time the game was out of reach for the Pumas, 54-31. The Knights had 5 players in double figures, led by Chris Dowe at 17. They shot 63% from the field and held St. Joe’s to only 42% from the field. Bellarmine out rebounded their opponent, 41-23 but the Knights did commit 14 turnovers. In a 30 point victory that could be overlooked but I am guessing Coach Davenport reinforced the importance of protecting the rock. This tied the Bellarmine record with 16 wins in a row.

A different team walks in tonight to Knights Hall and the home team is going to need every one of you there to avenge their last loss prior to the 16 game run. The University of Indianapolis comes to town on the heels of loss to Northern Kentucky. This team is much different at home than on the road but they still have the talent to compete. The Greyhounds are 10-3 at home with victories over Kentucky Wesleyan and Bellarmine but are only 4-3 on the road with losses to Quincy and Lewis. Game time is 8pm and Straitpinkie wants the house full to cheer on the Knights. We also hope there are a few signs urging Coach Davenport to put on the white suit!

Follow @StraitSportsG on Twitter

The Indianapolis Colts would never be the same.

That year, Peyton Manning took his first snaps as a Colt. In the next 13 years, Indianapolis would see three mayors, a population increase of over 5%, and a new stadium – but only one quarterback. That is until the calamity that was this past season, when Curtis Painter, Kerry Collins, and Dan Orlovsky all proved what many football fans had assumed for years: Peyton Manning is the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore in 1984. Before Peyton Manning took the helm, they were a laughable franchise. In their first 14 years in Indianapolis, they had only five winning seasons (all 9-7) and an overall record of 88-137. Since Manning became the face of the franchise, the Colts have had 11 winning seasons, and not counting this year, a record of 141-67.

Peyton Manning and his superb quarterback play saved the franchise. It brought a Super Bowl trophy and a Super Bowl weekend to Indianapolis. It built a new stadium. It made the number “18” synonymous with superstar. And now, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that the era will end. Andrew Luck is coming. And Indianapolis isn’t big enough for two franchise quarterbacks.

The argument seems simple enough. Manning’s health and the strength of his regenerating arm is a huge question mark – almost as huge as the paycheck the Colts’ management would owe him if they keep him. Andrew Luck (aka the Colts’ Second Coming) is the surest thing since John Elway. Clearly, the future and the long-term win column seem to be pointing to a single conclusion: Draft Luck and let Manning ride off into the sunset.

But I think it’s time to dispel one of the newest myths of sports: “It’s all about winning.” I mean no offense to Vince Lombardi or his newest contemporaries who spend their afternoons throwing knives at Lebron James and Dan Marino, but this mantra is simply not true. Sports are not all about winning. Winning is not the only thing. If winning were all that mattered in the world of sports, steroids would not have left fans sick to their stomachs and tainted an era of baseball. If winning were all that mattered, Ted Williams would be a chump –another good hitter that never won the October classic. If winning were all that mattered, we wouldn’t celebrate the stories. But we do. The stories are what matter in sports because there is a human connection. When we lose that, we lose everything –even when we “win”.

The emotions that this image of Joe Namath produces are why this Manning situation goes beyond “winning”. It just doesn’t feel right. Teams will always win championships. Fans will always faithfully fill the seats. What is truly rare is finding a player that is not just a star and not just a champion, but a hero – the entire town, the entire franchise – the embodiment of the horseshoe. What is the price tag on that? How many wins is that worth?

It’s easy to be practical. Sometimes, it’s harder to do what is right. Without Peyton Manning, the Colts may have been a football franchise located in Los Angeles. With Peyton Manning, the Colts breathed new life into the city of Indianapolis, and more importantly, gave fans young and old a town hero.

Is it worth a good Luck charm to throw all of that away?

Kentucky continues to keep its stranglehold on the overall No. 1 seed with Syracuse as it’s closest competition. The other two spots on the top line could go to a handful of teams: Duke, Kansas, Baylor, Missouri, Ohio State. Remember, this is a snapshot of the current landscape.What typically happens during conference championships the weekend of Selection Sunday is that teams that win their conference tournaments tend to, justified or not, slide past a more deserving team to the No. 1 line. The only teams in that quintet that didn’t lose this week were Ohio State and Missouri so those teams, “justified or not,” will take the final two No. 1 seeds.

Duke, Kansas, Baylor and North Carolina, in that order, fill out my No. 2 line. In all honesty, those eight teams, barring some type of crazy surge by Michigan State, Florida or Marquette seem safely on one of the top two lines. And projected Elite Eight matchups would be: Kentucky-North Carolina, Syracuse-Baylor, Ohio State-Kansas, Missouri-Duke, meaning the teams would be able to settle the debate on the court if needed.

*As per most bracket projections, this would be my projected field if the season ended today. Undoubtedly, teams in current “First Four” games will need to play their respective ways into the tournament because stolen auto-bids will shrink the at-large pool by approximately 4-6 teams on Selection Sunday.

Biggest Risers: Notre Dame (No. 13 “First Four” to No. 8), Florida (No. 5 to No. 3) and St. Louis (No. 10 to No. 8). It was time to take a long look at Notre Dame’s resume and while the Irish shouldn’t be completely let off the hook for early-season losses to Georgia and Maryland, this five-game winning streak against four shoe-in tournament teams and Seton Hall — three games on the road — is the hottest stretch of any team in the country. Notre Dame is 8-3 in the Big East and, with a five-game stretch of DePaul, Rutgers, at Villanova, West Virginia, at St. John’s on the horizon, it isn’t impossible for Notre Dame to be 13-3 or 12-4 in conference play heading into a showdown with Georgetown.

Florida was a true No. 4 seed last week that got bumped to a No. 5. Despite getting “murdered” by Kentucky, as Florida’s Bradley Beal put it, the Gators overall resume is still better than that of Marquette and Michigan – it’s main competition for a No. 3 seed.

St. Louis quietly uses solid defense and opportunistic offense to sit 1/2 game behind conference leader Temple. The Billikens should be dancing in March and time will tell if they can hold on to a favorable seed or fall in the more-than-likely 10-11 range.

Biggest Fallers: Seton Hall (No. 9 to No. 13 “First Four”) and Xavier (No. 9 to No. 12). The Hall didn’t want to be in the Field of 68 apparently, losing six straight games. The Pirates righted the ship by winning at Rutgers on Wednesday. In the end, Seton Hall edged Iowa State and North Carolina State for the final spot with better losses and better key wins. (Yes, NC State beat Texas, one of the other “First Four” teams in this week’s field, but Texas’ overall numbers are better trumping the only-so-telling head-to-head result).

Xavier continues to struggle post-brawl. The A-10 isn’t great this season, so losing to any teams outside of Temple and St. Louis at this point is something to really avoid. A tough stretch of at Temple, Dayton, at UMass awaits and will really be telling whether Xavier is trending toward a safe spot in the field or a top seed in the NIT.

LAST 4 TEAMS IN: Arizona, Texas, VCU, Seton Hall

LAST 10 TEAMS OUT: Iowa State, NC State, Colorado State, Northwestern, George Mason, Minnesota, Stanford, Northern Iowa, Pittsburgh, Wyoming.

NOTES: Keep an eye on the Atlantic Sun conference race. Mercer, which hosts the conference tournament this year, is currently tied with Belmont atop the standings. Belmont could, if it reaches the finals of the A-Sun tournament, secure an at-large bid but it wouldn’t be a given.

The Horizon league has a new leader in Valparaiso. I like Cleveland State’s resume enough to keep the Vikings in the field for now. Cleveland State’s win at Vanderbilt to open the season is huge and the road win against other conference leader like Kent State looks pretty good as well. I’m rewarding the Vikings – whether the committee will later or not – for playing a lot of road games against similar teams (Rhode Island, Toledo, Detroit) and winning them. This obviously means the Vikings took an at-large spot away from Iowa State who would have been the last team in the field.

Over 6,000 Career NCAA Rushing Yards
Owns or shares 20 NCAA Records
2 Time All-American
1998 Heisman Trophy
5th overall NFL Pick
1853 Yds Rushing in 2002
10,009 Career Rushing Yds in 11 NFL Seasons

….all of these accomplishments and all Ricky Williams wanted was inner peace.

Ricky Williams was a monster running back at Texas who brought back memories of Earl Campbell. He would run over the linebacker and then outrun the safety. He set records, including the career rushing yardds and won tons of awards. Some running backs have career games with 193 yards, but he rushed for 193 a game during his senior campaign. Those on the outside were not really introduced to Ricky Williams outside the lines.

In the 99′ draft the New Orleans Saints, coached by Mike Ditka, selected Williams 5th overall after trading their entire selection of 1999 draft picks and a 1st and 3rd in the following year. The first big introduction of a care free Williams was the cover of ESPN Magazine following the draft. Williams was by no means a bust.

He rushed for nearly 900 yds as a rookie and over 1,000 the next two with the Saints. Ricky Williams had it all, but wanted none of it. He was a shy man who often did interviews with his helmet and visor on, as if too remain in the shadows.

He was traded in 2002 to the Dolphins for several draft picks. His first season was statistically his most successful on the professional level. He ran for over 1,800 yards and became a Pro Bowler. Williams’ following season was very productive with over 1,300 yards on the ground. Yet, what followed was a shock. He decided he would retire after a second failed drug test. Of course, people were angry that this guy who had it all would throw it away because he just wanted to smoke it up. Ricky really just wanted out of the limelight. He was tired of the interviews and tired of the world at large. Williams told Dan LeBetard in 2004, “I don’t want to do it anymore. That’s it. I don’t want to do this anymore. If people really care about me, that would be enough for them.”

We all know the rest of the story, Williams returned in 2005 and then again failed a drug test and was suspended by the NFL. He spent a year in the CFL before returning to the NFL with the Dolphins and the Ravens. The hard hitting back finished his career with over 10,000 yards. ESPN produced the film “Run Ricky Run” for its 30 for 30 series, and that’s what Ricky Williams has been doing since he began getting so much attention. All he really wants is to go where no one knows who he is and he can be himself without the helmet. We can all talk about how lucky he was to be blessed with such great athletic talents, but many of us could never understand what it is like to feel so alone in a crowded room.

When the smoke clears, Ricky Williams will have done justice to his god given talents and should not be ashamed of his actions. He gave us plenty of exciting running behind the mask and now he should be free to live in his world, instead of ours. I only hope he is able to find peace within himself now that he has stepped away for the final time.

Follow @StraitSportsG on Twitter

George: I think after UK and UNC that Kansas is the most talented team in the nation. The problem is, talent only goes so far. Consistency by TRob and Tyshawn Taylor is sorely lacking. They get beat by Mizzou by a few points but blew out Baylor twice. This team is the reason I hate my brackets but love filling them out every year.

nickev: I’m going Florida. Despite being handled by the Cats on Tuesday night, I really believe that this a top ten team. They are loaded with perimeter guys and if given touches Patric Young could be one of the best big men in the country. But, with their reliance on the three-point shot, you never know what is going to happen with this team. They have the ability to beat anyone in the country. But, I also think they could lose to anyone on a given night. Look at their double-overtime loss to Rutgers.

2. Gisele hating on Brady receivers…Do you care?

nickev: She’s hot and I’m really happy they showed her during the Super Bowl because it earned me a $30 profit via a prop bet. But, do I care about her getting on Brady’s teammates? No. To me it’s just like somebody’s grandma cussing out everyone except for little Jimmy after his baseball team fell in the 11-12 year old championship. Granny don’t know anything baseball but she is watching her grandson. Neither does Gisele. She’s just way, way hotter than Granny.

George: She was fired up and I love it. It was certainly a little Ralph Cramden bus driving but no big deal. Why does Brazil seem so amazing?

3. What did Marky Mark do with the Funky Bunch?

nickev: Was there ever really a Funky Bunch? If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound? Same thing applies here. No one’s ever seen a member of the Funky Bunch, so did they really ever exist? I’m getting ready to get proved wrong with a picture, aren’t I?

George: Come on! Without the Funky Bunch there would be no Good Vibrations. Then, where would we be?

See More from NickEv HERE

See More from George HERE

Last week had some major games with Big Ten Championship implications. The Buckeyes are still the favorite and have sole possession of first with Michigan State a game out and Wisconsin and Michigan both 1 1/2 games back. While the Big Ten could theoretically get nine teams into the field, my guess is they’ll get eight tops and more than likely seven. That said, the fringe tournament teams fared very well last week.

MAJOR STUMPER: Illinois. It couldn’t have been an uglier week for the Fighting Illini. True, Illinois beat No. 9 Michigan State at home on Tuesday, but the game was so hard to watch it felt like both teams lost. And, truth be told, no team is going to brag about a 42-41 victory, regardless of the opponent. Nevertheless, Illinois won that game despite shooting 32.6 percent. A win is a win, right? Well, what did Illinois do? The Illini followed that up with a 74-70 home loss to Northwestern. Find another team’s week that is more confusing than that.

MAJOR SURPRISE: Iowa. Unless Iowa runs some sort of magical gauntlet the Hawkeyes aren’t making the NCAA Tournament. Still, a team fighting for its life is making things very difficult for the Big Ten’s fringe teams. Already with a wins at Wisconsin and Minnesota and against Michigan earlier in the year, Iowa beat Minnesota to complete the season sweep this past week. Couple that with an expected-but-nonetheless-needed win against Penn State and Iowa is 5-6 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes need to win the Big Ten Tournament to secure an NCAA bid because the sad fact is Iowa’s best nonconference win is either against Drake or against Brown. That, coupled with a loss to Campbell and it is a miracle Iowa already has five Big Ten victories.

BRACKETOGRAPHY: I’ll have a weekly bracket released each Friday. In last week’s edition of Bracketography 2012, seven Big Ten teams made the field. Ohio State headlined the group and was the best No. 2 seed. Both Michigan State and Michigan were holding steady on the No. 3 line while Wisconsin (No. 4) was the conference’s fourth protected seed. Indiana (No. 5) and Illinois (No. 7) were the other Big Ten teams favored to win at least one tournament game. Purdue was the final Big Ten team in the field as a No. 12 seed, though the Boilermakers will need to do some work to stay there.

The weekend’s results shouldn’t shake seeding up too much. Wisconsin losing to Ohio State shouldn’t knock the Badgers down a line. The same can be said for Michigan losing at Michigan State. Illinois, who had moved up a few lines with an ugly-yet-satisfying win against Michigan State earlier in the week will likely fall with a home loss to Northwestern. Purdue fell at home to Indiana which, despite Indiana’s solid footing in the bracket, is just one of many losses piling up for Purdue.

While we can’t “lock” any teams into the NCAA Tournament in early February, it seems safe to say Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana will play in March. It will be interesting to see how many of the next group of four (Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern) crack the field. All have solid wins already but the mounting losses only make each team less desirable compared to other bubble teams. My best guess is, based on the Big Ten’s strength this year, no fewer than seven Big Ten teams make it, even if the final two are somewhere on the 11-12-13 lines.

Below is a snapshot at where Big Ten teams stack in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The shocking score was “Northwestern 74, Illinois 70.” Keep in mind that is the same arena Illinois knocked off Michigan State earlier in the week. Nothing says Jeckyl and Hyde like the 2012 Illini.

Illinois 42, Michigan State 41: In a game highlighted by missed opportunities and brick after brick after brick, Illinois survived a last second runner from MSU’s Keith Appling to pick up a much needed victory. Lost in the score was the terrific defense played by both teams. While MSU likely will chalk up it’s sub-25 percent FG percentage to a dozen missed layups, Illinois didn’t let anything come easy. The same can be said for MSU’s defense, which continues to be one of the country’s most underrated units.

Michigan 68, Indiana 56: Starting the game down 13-0 is no way to win, especially on the road. That’s what Tom Crean’s Hoosiers did at Crisler Center. Despite falling behind by as many as 20 in the first half, Indiana twice cut the deficit to two in the second half. Trailing 52-50, Indiana’s inability to stop the opposition was highlighted yet again when Michigan hit back-to-back 3-pointers to ice the game.

Ohio State 58, Wisconsin 52: Jot this down: Ohio State can play fast, medium or slow. Also jot this down: Ohio State can win at any pace, too. This was a game that the Buckeyes dominated yet could never build a double-digit lead. That’s pretty common against Wisconsin, especially at the Kohl Center. Nevertheless, Ohio State beat a team it should beat on any floor and has the looks of not only a Big Ten Champion but a national champion.

Indiana 78, Purdue 61: The score doesn’t indicate how this game was neck and neck for 37 minutes. Indiana scored the game’s final 13 points thanks to the Hack-a-Hoosier strategy and Purdue’s inability to hit shots. It was a brutal home loss for Purdue which needs to protect its home floor and steal a few road wins to feel safe on Selection Sunday.

Michigan State 64, Michigan 54: In a game that never felt as close as the score, MSU’s defense smothered Michigan all game. Draymond Green had as many rebounds (16) as the entire Michigan team. He’s only the fourth Big Ten player to accomplish that feat since the 1996-97 season. The Spartans might not win pretty this season, but defensively they’ll measure up with any team in the country. Michigan, on the other hand, has a favorable schedule the rest of the way and shouldn’t be forgotten. The Wolverines should, at worst, finish the Big Ten season at 11-7 but a 12-6 record is more likely. Both these teams are Top 4 seeds with Michigan State having an outside shot at a No. 2.

THE WEEK AHEAD: Just as I predicted, the Big Ten took form last week. Minnesota and Northwestern are moving closer to No. 1 seeds in the NIT while Purdue seemingly wants to play a “First Four” game in Dayton.

Tuesday, 2/7: Purdue @ Ohio State – If Purdue wants to end any talk of the NIT, this is the game to win. Of course, that’s much easier said than done. I would expect Purdue to keep it close for a half, but the Boilermakers’ lack of a low-post threat will allow Jared Sullinger to have a 20-and-12 kind of night. Boy, does Purdue miss JaJuan Johnson or what?

Thursday, 2/9: Wisconsin @ Minnesota – The Gophers were swept by Iowa. Getting a win against the Badgers might become a “push” with that late statement. Nevertheless, Minnesota needs some big wins and with Wisconsin coming to “The Barn” along with Michigan State, Ohio State and Indiana later in the year, the opportunities are there. It’s time to take advantage, Minnesota.

Thursday, 2/9: Illinois @ Indiana – This is the first of two big road games for Illinois this week. The Illini should be looking for a split, which will be tough. Indiana’s porous defense and desire to run might play right into Illinois’ hands. If Brandon Paul can summon another 43-point game, Illinois should win easily. If he gets at least 20, this game will come down to free throw shooting. I’m foreseeing the latter.

Saturday, 2/11: Michigan State @ Ohio State– Overall, Ohio State has more talent than any other Big Ten team. However, the more one watches Michigan State, the more it seems the Spartans might have what it takes to give the Buckeyes fits. If Ohio State can hit it’s outside shots, the Buckeyes should cruise. But if those shots aren’t falling, MSU has enough bodies to throw at Sullinger both on offense and defense that this’ll be a great game decided in the closing minutes.

Sunday, 2/12: Illinois @ Michigan – This will be another low-scoring Big Ten affair. Illinois could really use a road win against a Michigan team that is a perfect 13-0 at home this season. Either way, I don’t see the winning team breaking 60 points. Call it a 57-54 victory for the home team.

I wanted to remember everything.

So I kept notes, like a dork, and the result was a real time reaction to the biggest annual sports event in America. There are only three disclaimers I will give before revealing the internal workings of my mind. 1) I’m a college student and observed the game on a fraternity hall –take that for what it is worth. 2) In the middle of writing this article, I will probably raise my middle finger at your computer screen. And 3) These reactions were gut reactions, scribbled hurriedly into a notebook while I stood or sat in a dorm room –forgive me for any ineloquence of style.

Diary of a Super Bowl Observer

6:40 PM: I missed the opening drive because I was convinced the game would never start on time. I’ve been sitting for, at most, 32 seconds, and my mind has already been blown. Tom Brady just made a mental mistake and scored two points for the other team. As the camera cuts to his wife, Gisele, likely asking the luxury box fans to pray for her husband, I wonder if Brady may have thought the wide expanse of blank field might have contained Chad Ochocinco. After all, he’s been invisible most of the season. (Giants 2, Patriots 0).

6:51 PM: Victor Cruz’ salsa dance is clearly worthy of a Pepsi from Elton John. (Giants 9, Patriots 0).

6:53 PM: Not even a half hour into the game, and we’ve already witnessed the first wardrobe malfunction – a naked M&M. It’s not exactly Janet Jackson’s nipple pasty, but I’m betting neither would melt in your hand.

7:12 PM: Why are Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth announcing this game while sitting in what looks like a planetarium?

7:17 PM: People wonder why football players are stereotyped as being stupid. This is the Super Bowl, a game that theoretically pairs the best two teams in the league, and the players and coaches can’t count to eleven. Another 12-man penalty…

7:23 PM: Al Michaels is usually a very good, careful announcer, but he just gave the viewing audience a gem. Speaking of Jason Pierre-Paul’s blind father, Michaels says, “He watched a baby Jason Pierre-Paul playing in the living room…”

7:26 PM: Am I the only person who thinks that Wes Welker’s disgusting, dirty mustache makes him look like a certain cop from Reno 911? Anyone?

7:30 PM: At this point in the game, I’m seriously considering that Giants Punter Weatherford might be the MVP. Two punts inside the five yard line –that’s clutch.

7:38 PM: According to this cars.com commercial, “Confidence” looks like an erection with a face on it that comes out of your back and dances. This wins most disturbing commercial of the Super Bowl.

7:47 PM: Brady connects on a pass to the Travelocity Roaming Gnome Danny Woodhead – a small man among Giants (get it?!). Patriots take the lead before halftime 10 to 9.

8:06 PM: Madonna, as entertaining as she is, is being shown up by everything around her – dancers, lights, the stage, a particularly golden pom-pom. If nothing else, I’m glad that her awkwardly slow dance moves will provide much joy to the people who hate football but are watching the Super Bowl. But, from my perspective, that middle finger to the camera was a good summary of how I felt this Halftime Show treated me…

8:23 PM: Football has resumed and… CHAD OCHOCINCO!!! HE’S ALIVE! HIS HANDS WORK!

                Note: I’ve officially become that weird guy at the Super Bowl Party excitedly taking notes.

8:28 PM: Momentum seems to have officially swung to the side of the Patriots. Brady hits Hernandez and Patriots take the lead 17-9. No camera shot of Gisele celebrating –disappointment.

8:38 PM: For a second there, I thought Giants kicker Tynes had been possessed by the ghost of Billy Cundiff. But he squeezed in the field goal. (Patriots 17, Giants 12).

8:40 PM: I just started a Liberal Arts Student-esque conversation about the objectification of women in Super Bowl commercials. My fraternity brothers respond, while the only girl in the room is amazed by the next commercial, yelling, “Regis Philbin! He’s alive!” I lose some hope…

                Note: Seconds later, I get to cheer on the Yogurt commercial’s female who kicks John Stamos’ ass.

Hope regained!

8:55 PM: This game is lacking in excitement and fireworks so far, but is increasingly gaining in numbers of close-to-the-upright-field-goals. Tynes again. (Patriots 17, Giants 15).

9:01 PM: Darryl Isaacs (that’s right, the HEAVY HITTER!) just stole the Super Bowl for all viewers in the Lexington and Louisville viewing areas. Why? 1) Awesome fake tan. 2) Best receiving performance of the night so far (because everyone wants a lawyer who can hold that many balls at once). 3) He’s the freaking HEAVY HITTER!

9:03 PM: A defensive linemen just out-dueled the GRONK! After Brady’s interception, somewhere, Joe Montana is smiling. Also, somewhere, Blackburn’s family is crying tears of joy and anyone who ever called him a fat boy is drowning themselves in salsa.

9:06 PM: When did Ferris Bueller get so old…and not funny?

9:16 PM: Giants just wasted their second timeout, which is tragic enough. Then, NBC does the closest thing they can to get football fans to cry, showing Jake Ballard heroically attempting to get back into the game, only to fall on the sideline when he tries to make a cut. What a man.

9:18 PM: My second favorite Al Michaels quote of the night: “Coughlin is CRAZY!”

9:30 PM: With a somewhat sloppy Super Bowl going on, I’m drifting, trying to decide who has had the better performance tonight so far: Clint Eastwood, Darryl Isaacs, or that weird John McEnroe look-alike that was bouncing on a rubber wire during the halftime show?

9:33 PM: Mario Manningham just defied physics –what a catch! A nerdy side of me thinks that Mario earned a one-up mushroom on that one (Aside: Belichick=Bowser? Eli=Luigi? Coughlin=Koopa? I like this analogy…). Easily the best play of the game so far and Eli has that look in his eye…

9:38 PM: As I’m leaning on the edge of a futon, hanging on every second of the fourth quarter action, a fraternity brother (with admittedly less-than-stellar football know-how) says to me, “This is actually turning into a pretty good game…you know, if you like this sort of thing.” A part of me died inside.

9:44 PM: Football players are known to be amazing athletes, but apparently, Ahmad Bradshaw can’t fall down on purpose. But Giants take the lead, 21-17. When I said in my Super Bowl article that Bradshaw would be the player to watch for, I didn’t expect that his inability to sit may be the turning point in the game…

9:49 PM: Once upon a time, Brady was famous for the “Tuck Rule”. Now, Tuck Rules! Justin Tuck with a HUGE sack.

9:50 PM: Tuck who?! FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION THIS ISN’T OVER I CANT BREATHE THIS ROOM SMELLS LIKE MEXICAN FOOD AHHHHHH.

                Note: It was in this moment, when the Super Bowl is coming down to its final seconds, that another of my fraternity brothers decided to tell an awesome story involving Chad Ochocinco. Normally, I would have been pissed. But this story was fantastic. In short: My friend had worked in the Georgetown movie theater (the city where the Bengals used to have Training Camp). Apparently, the Bengals, on a day off, paid for the theater to open early for them, and for each player to get either a drink or popcorn (but candy was prohibited). Long story short: Ochocinco wanted candy anyway and offered my friend $100 for Raisonettes. My friend didn’t cave in, but apparently Chad was a nice guy. And apparently, Terrell Owens was, well, not as nice of a guy. Anyway…in case it ever comes up, Chad Ochocinco likes Raisonettes. Back to the game…

9:53 PM: The almost greatest Hail Mary of all time falls to the ground. Game over. Giants win! Giants’ fans, that inexplicably find themselves at Transylvania University in Kentucky, are screaming in the hallway! People are actually congratulating me on correctly predicting the Super Bowl in my article!

9:54 PM: That awkward moment when I realize I have class the next day. The crowd disperses. Super Bowl Sunday’s illusionary magic has lifted, and the college once again enters that recognizable silence of homework and dread of Monday morning.

Cory’s Final Playoff Prediction Record: 8-3