In sports odds never really matter to anyone except to people betting on the games. But even if you’re not betting it’s always fun to take a look at the odds and point spreads to see what the experts in Vegas think about your teams chances. Luckily the experts aren’t always right. I know the season just ended and the draft and free agency haven’t happened yet so these odds will change a little. I wouldn’t look into this too much if at all. But anyways, here are the 2011 Super Bowl odds according to Bodog.com as of right now.
Kurt Warner has announced his retirement from the game of football. As a Kurt Warner fan I find myself at peace with this decision. There is a part of me that wishes he came back of course but I’m glad I get to see my favorite player go out while playing his best football not his worst.
It sounds cliche to say this but the NFL has lost a great player and person. Warner was a bright spot in a league full of criminals. So often kids look up to their favorite players only to be let down by their off the field actions. That was never a concern for any kid looking up to Warner. Kurt’s been a model citizen and a man that every Christians can say they’re proud of.
Warner’s career was a modern day Bible story. His story gives anyone who hears it hope and lets everyone know that anything truly is possible. I never thought it was possible at my age to be inspired by a professional athlete. But the way Kurt rose from obscurity to become one the greats of all time has to inspire everyone a little bit.
Kurt Warner took the worst franchise in professional sports and made them winners. And for that I thank him.
Special thanks to Josh McCown. Had Josh McCown not made this pass at the end of the 2003 season, Kurt Warner never would’ve been a Cardinal. Instead Arizona would’ve had the first pick in the 2004 draft and picked Eli Manning instead of Larry Fitzgerald. Arizona’s quarterbacks for the next few seasons would’ve been Manning and McCown. Fitzgerald would’ve been drafted by the Redskins or Lions and Warner never would’ve signed with Arizona. So thank you Josh McCown for making one great play in your career that changed the course of Cardinals history.
How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?
Over/Under 1 minute 42 seconds
Which Super Bowl commercial will have a higher rating on USA Today’s annual Ad Meter?
Anheuser-Busch / Budweiser 2/3
Doritos 9/4
Coca-Cola 13/2
Go Daddy.com 8/1
Career Builder 8/1
Family First 12/1
Other 5/2
How many current NFL Players will be arrested during Super Bowl Week?
Over/Under 0.5
What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?
Yellow 1/1
Clear/Water 7/5
Orange 4/1
Lime Green 5/1
Red 12/1
Blue 12/1
What side of the ball will the Players that perform the Gatorade Shower be from?
Offensive +140
Defensive -170
Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?
God 4/5
Teammates 8/5
Does not thank anyone 4/1
Family 11/2
Coach 10/1
How Many Times will CBS show Archie Manning on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 2.5
(Wager is on the number of times Archie Manning will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager.)
How Many Times will CBS show Eli Manning on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 2.5
(Wager is on the number of times Eli Manning will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager.)
How Many Times will CBS show Kim Kardashian on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 2.5
(Wager is on the number of times Kim Kardashian will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager. Person must be in attendance for wager to have action.)
How Many Times will CBS show Tony Dungy on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 1.5
(Wager is on the number of times Tony Dungy will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager. Person must be in attendance for wager to have action.
How Many Times will CBS show Bourbon Street on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 2
(Wager is on the number of times Bourbon Street will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle).)
How Many Times will CBS show South Beach on TV during the Game?
Over/Under 2
(Wager is on the number of times South Beach will appear on TV during the Game (from kick off until final whistle).)
How Many Times will CBS announcers fully mention Hurricane Katrina during the game?
Over/Under 3
(Wager is on the number of times announcers specifically say “Hurricane Katrina” during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only.)
If the New Orleans Saints win will Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush be engaged by July 31st 2010?
Yes +135
No -165
What color top will Kim Kardashian be wearing at the Super Bowl?
Black 6/5
White 7/4
Any Other Color 7/5
Which CBS Show will get the most Promo’s during the game?
Undercover Boss 1/1
CSI Miami 7/2
NCIS 4/1
CSI 5/1
NCIS LA 10/1
Big Bang Theory 10/1
How I Met Your Mother 10/1
Two and a Half Men 14/1
Will a member of the Who smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show?
Yes +120
No -150
How many times will Pete Townshend do his legendary windmill move?
Over/Under 5
If any member of the Who smashes their guitar what does the guitar hit first?
Floor 2/3
Speaker 2/1
Microphone 3/1
Drummer 100/1
Fan 100/1
Will they show a replay of Tom Benson celebrating the missed field goal against Tampa Bay from the regular season?
Yes +350
No -500
Will they show clothing apparel proclaiming the Super Bowl Champion before the final whistle?
Yes -130
No Even
Super Bowl XLIV - What will happen with the Stock Market the day after Super Bowl XLIV?
Sorry for the title. I was excited when I started writing this blog post and that was the only title I could think of. To be honest I’m not a good enough writer to even attempt to put that game into words. I’m not sure many people are. That being said I’ll try and make a few points that aren’t incredibly obvious.
Kurt Warner is good! Okay maybe a little obvious. 29 for 33 with 379 yards and 5 touchdown passes. That might be the greatest stat line in playoff history. Seriously, I bet you can’t name a better stat line than the one Kurt just put up against Green Bay. When was the last time a quarterback had more touchdown passes than incompletions in a game? Warner’s game was the equivalent to throwing a no hitter in a MLB playoff game, or maybe even a perfect game. Speaking of perfect how does that stat line not equate to a perfect passer rating? Kurt finished with a 154.1 rating which is awesome but seems like it should be a perfect 158.3. According to my math that gives him a 104.6 QB rating for his playoff career falling .2 short of Bart Starr’s 104.8 rating for the highest in NFL history.
Defense: They played a good first half but for whatever reason they can never play a whole game. You’d assume that Arizona’s defense forcing 3 turnovers and having 5 sacks would mean they played a good game. Wellllll I guess those stats don’t tell the whole story. I just hope defensive coordinator Bill Davis can draw up a decent game plan against New Orleans next week. And Michael Adams did have the game winning play but he also looked lost out there. I have to assume the Saints will be picking on him next game as well.
Neil Rackers choked: 2007 was the last time Neil had a chance to kick a game winning field goal. He wasn’t clutch then and wasn’t clutch today. Neil has been a good kicker for Arizona but he is far from clutch. It’s not even like he barely missed it, he just flat out pulled it. That was all nerves and lack of confidence which scares me for the future.
Early Doucet: A lot of guys on offense played well today. Beanie Wells, the whole receiving core, and the offensive line. But Early Doucet stepping in for Boldin and playing like Boldin was just huge. Doucet was a gamer at LSU and showed that he still has what it takes to be a great player in the NFL. I think Cardinals fans feel better about him possibly being the number 3 receiver next season. Great time for him to play the best game of his career.
One of the great games ever? I’ve already talked to a few people about where that game ranks all time. As far as games go from start to finish it’s in my top 10 non Super Bowl playoff games. I know the game just ended and I’m bias but that game had it all. A 21 point comeback, most points ever, 13 touchdowns(most ever), overtime, and a fumble return for a touchdown to end the game. It’s hard to compete with a game like that. There have been games that will be more memorable for a single play. An example of that would be the Music City Miracle or the Immaculate Reception game. Both games remembered for amazing finishes but were not as exciting as the game we just saw from start to finish. Everyone will have their different opinions but it’s at least debatable. It’s a game us Cardinals fans will remember forever.
Quote of the day: From my friend Mike, “I shouldn’t have taken the 47 point under”
Sports Illustrated writer Jim Trotter joined me for a podcast to break down the up and coming playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals.
Jim talks about the health of Anquan Boldin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Calais Campbell. He also tells us what the keys to the game will be. Oh and of course his prediction.
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All four of those guys deserved to be voted to the NFC Pro Bowl Roster so congratulations to them. The biggest snub job this year is punter Ben Graham. Graham had one of the best seasons I can ever remember by a punter but it still wasn’t good enough to get him voted on as the NFC’s punter. Graham plays on a team that doesn’t really punt that often but is still about to set the NFL record for most punts inside the 20. Almost 50% of Graham’s punts landed inside the 20 this season which is far better than any other player in the NFL.
Unfortunately LaRod Stephens-Howling’s name was not on the special teams ballot when the ballot came out this year. That pretty much made it impossible for him to get voted into the Pro Bowl. Cardinals fans would agree that he played as good as anyone in the league this year on specials teams.
As of right now the listed alternates are Ben Graham, Kurt Warner, Antrel Rolle, Levi Brown, Neil Rackers, and Sean Morey. The NFL didn’t say what order the alternates are but that will be released later on.
Kurt Warner might have had a chance had he not missed a game and a half and blown it on Monday Night Football against the 49ers. Antrel Rolle was doing well in the voting for a while but he didn’t do much the last few weeks so that knocked him off the Pro Bowl Roster. Both he and Warner still have a decent chance as alternates though.
Overall I’m pretty happy with how things worked out other than Graham being snubbed. Dockett had a fantastic year and deserved to be a Pro Bowler for the 2nd time in his career. DRC made a late push to get himself his first Pro Bowl. Larry Fitzgerald made his 4th Pro Bowl and is only 26, he should have a many more to come. Wilson who just joined the 20/20 club made his 3rd Pro Bowl. So again congrats to all of them.
Over the next week Cardinals fans will be doing the confusing math of trying to figure out who Arizona will be playing in the playoffs. Since I’m kind of a nerd and have a couple hours to spare I’ll break it down for you. This is what it looks like right now…
1. New Orleans (13-2)
2. Philadelphia (11-4)
3. Minnesota (11-4) 4. Arizona (10-5)
5. Green Bay (10-5)
6. Dallas (10-5)
New Orleans has locked up the number one seed so we don’t have to worry about them. But seeds 2 through 6 are still up in the air. Most Cardinals fans will be focusing on the number 2 seed because it would give Arizona a bye for the first round.
In order for Arizona to get the number 2 seed the Cardinals would have to beat Green Bay and both Minnesota and Philadelphia would have to lose. I’ll quote the little kid fromAngels in the Outfield and say “it could happen.”
If Arizona, New York, and Philadelphia all win, then Arizona would be the 3 seed and play Dallas who would be the 6 seed.
If Arizona, Minnesota, and the Cowboys all win, then Arizona would be the 3 seed and would play the Packers who would be the 6 seed.
If Arizona, Minnesota, and the Eagles all win, then Arizona would be the 4 seed and play Green Bay who would be the 5 seed.
If Arizona loses and New York and Dallas both win, then Arizona is the 4 seed and would play Green Bay who would be the 5 seed.
If Arizona loses and New York and Philadelphia win, then Arizona is the 4 seed and would play Green Bay who would be the 5 seed.
If Arizona loses and Minnesota and Dallas win, then Arizona would be the 4 seed playing Green Bay who would be the 5 seed.
If Arizona loses and Minnesota and Philadelphia win then Arizona would be the 4 seed playing Green Bay would be the 5 seed.
Those are the 8 scenarios for the Cardinals. One scenario has Arizona getting the two seed and a bye, 6 have the Cardinals playing another home game against Green Bay, and one has Arizona playing Dallas. Once it’s broken down the scenarios are all pretty simple. I’m just happy I didn’t have to break down the AFC.
A site I like to go to is sportsclubstats.com, they give the odds of what seed each team could be landing at. Right now according to Sports Club Stats Arizona has a 7.1% chance of landing the 2 seed, a 25% chance of landing the 3 seed, and a 68% chance of landing the 4 seed. As we all know these numbers are pretty meaningless when it comes down to it but it’s still a fun site.
As an Arizona Cardinals blogger I’m naturally going to be a little bias towards Darnell Dockett. But how bias I am doesn’t matter when making the case for Darnell being a Pro Bowler. As of right now Dockett is 4th in the Pro Bowl voting for NFC defensive tackles behind Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Albert Haynesworth. This is unacceptable to me not only as a Cardinals fan but as a football fan. Anyone that calls themselves a football fan and doesn’t vote Dockett to the Pro Bowl should be banned from watching the NFL. Take a look at Darnell’s stats and then the three players ahead of him…
Darnell Dockett: 46 tackles, 7 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, one interception
Pat Williams: 43 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss
Kevin Williams: 28 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 tackles for loss
Albert Haynesworth: 29 tackles, 3 sackes, 2 tackles for loss
It’s not even close, Dockett has by far the best stats of any defensive tackle in the NFC or even the NFL for that matter. Even if you’re not a stats person you should appreciate the things Darnell does to impact the game in other ways. He takes up multiple blockers on just about every play freeing up other players on the Cardinals D-line. He also has a motor like no other player in the league. A lot of Darnell’s tackles come from him chasing wide receivers 15 yards down the field because he never stops moving. I could also go into what a great football IQ Dockett has but fans don’t seem to care about that when casting their Pro Bowl Votes.
I shouldn’t even have to make a case to vote for Dockett. Watch a Cardinals game or look at the stats, either way it’s clear Darnell belongs in the Pro Bowl and as a starter. I don’t care if you’re Albert Haynesworth’s mother you should be voting for the real best DT in the NFC. Click Here to cast your vote for Dockett and the other Cardinals players. Make sure you don’t cast votes for players that will be in competition with Darnell. So voting for Albert Haynesworth and Kevin Williams a long with Dockett pretty much cancels you’re vote. That’s common sense but some of you might lack that so I have to remind you.
That didn’t go as planned. But I’ve been a Cardinals fan long enough to know I can’t dwell on the loss and I don’t think anyone should. With most teams you could say this was a bad sign, but the Cardinals seem to play games like this every once in a while. Arizona always bounces back the next week. I don’t know why this happens or why the Cardinals can beat the Vikings one week and play the worst game of the season the next. Over the last two years it’s been a reoccurring theme. Last year they went all the way to the Super Bowl after an embarrassing loss in New England and hopefully something similar happens after this pathetic performance.
one or two turnovers is tough to overcome. But seven is impossible. It’s a miracle the game was even in reach. The fumbles seemed to just be a lack of focus, the interceptions and weak pass game had to do with poor offensive line play and some bad decisions by Warner. I’ve said for a while that if you want to stop Kurt Warner you rush only 3 or 4 guys and drop a lot of guys back into a zone. He’s had his worst games as a Cardinal when defenses drop 7 or 8 back in a zone. He tries to force passes and never gets in a rhythm when teams do that to him. That’s part of what happened tonight. Beanie Wells was the only thing working on offense but he ruined his accolades by giving up the game clinching fumble.
The defense wasn’t any thing special tonight, they gave up 167 rushing yards to Frank Gore. But it’s hard to fault them when the offense gave up 7 turnovers. So I guess they didn’t play bad just not enough to win.
It was an awful game to watch and embarrassing that it happened on national television. Hopefully this ends up being a wake up call for Arizona.
Tonight the Arizona Cardinals face off with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. A win for the Cards clinches the NFC West for the second straight year. I’m still amazed that Arizona has a football team that’s about to go to the playoffs for a second straight season. This time of year I’m use to talking about the NFL draft and what players the Cardinals could be getting. Now we’re talking playoffs and Super Bowl again. I know Arizona hasn’t clinched yet but the Cardinals have a 99.2% chance of making the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats.com So I’m playing the odds and saying Arizona makes the playoffs. But hopefully the Cards make it official tonight.
Speaking of odds, Arizona is a 3.5 point favorite over the 49ers and I’m saying take the over, although history might not agree with me on that. San Francisco has played the Cardinals very tough over the last few years. Take a look at the scores the last few times Arizona and San Francisco met. The 49ers have won 8 of the last 15 while the Cardinals 7. So if you’re a betting man you might consider this before you make a bet. I personally think the Cardinals are going to win by double digits. Yes, it is Monday Night Football and the game is in San Francisco but Arizona is playing the best football they’ve played all season. With a chance to clinch the NFC West on the line I expect to see the Cardinals at their best.
49ers middle linebacker Patrick Willis gave the Cardinals a little more motivation when he said, “We’re not worried about the run,” We know that they’re not going to run the ball on us. They will not run the ball on us.” Way to spark a fire Patrick.
The Cardinals have plenty of reasons to be motivated in this game. They have a chance to avenge a tough home loss to start the season, a chance to clinch the NFC West, and now to add to it, prove Patrick Willis wrong.
We’re going to see a good Cardinals football team tonight. I expect to be celebrating another playoff birth a few hours from now.
Eli blogs vigorously on the Arizona Cardinals at his personal blog Voice of the Cardinals here on Fanster as well as on MVN.com. Eli\'s podcast \"Voice of the Cardinals\" can be heard on Fanster Radio.
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