It's that annual time when the Best of the Best meet up in Hawaii to display their awesome talent or is it? Some say the NFL has worst All-Star game of any professional sport. For the players, it happens at a time of the year when they are physically and emotionally drained from the rigors of a long season. For those that made the playoffs even longer. Football is unique in that the chance of injury is much more likely (as well as finding someone to replace an injured player) that having an All-Star game at the beginning of a season or the middle of a season would not fly with most owners, coaches, or players. Basically, there is no good time to have a game except for the end of the season. I actually believe the old format was better because at least there was some competition fighting for bragging rights. For example if the NFC won the Super Bowl then the AFC could get some measure of respect or payback if you will the following week and vice versa. Of course this new format is in it's infancy so I guess it is really too early to tell how this way will be viewed over a period of time. I guess will have to just wait and see. The main thing for those of us who are just pure NFL Football fans is that it represents the second to last chance to see our heroes before that dreaded offseason that will soon be upon us. Of course you know that picking the winner of this game is a crap shoot at best but I'll take a whack at it anyway. I'll go with the NFC simply because I believe "This Year" the NFC was the more talented Conference. That is the only theory (or opinion) I can come up with right now. Enjoy the game and don't forget to come back next week for my Super Bowl pick.
Since we do discuss football here in general I would like to leave you with this other opinion. In the local rag here(Times Pic) sports writer Jeff Duncan wrote a story about how coaches in the NFL skate around injury reports and that during last week's NFC Championship game at halftime the Bears via Twitter released a report on Jay Cutler that gave everyone the impression that he could possibly return after Bears' doctors had actually determined that in fact Cutler was medically ruled out. First let me remind Mr Duncan a few short years ago there WAS no Twitter to receive any type of injury update at halftime. The only way anyone would know anything was if a sideline reporter got a chance to speak with someone on the field. So it is ridiculous that we are even discussing that aspect (Twitter). Some coaches feel it gives them an advantage or disadvantage depending on which side of the injury they are on. As a fan I really don't care what the status of the injured player is during the game other will he return. After the game I would be curious simply because I would worry that one of our players may not be available the next week. But REALLY an injury report during the game, what good is that information to a fan? Or the specific injury itself? If you tell me he could possibly return and he is sitting on the bench, I believe I am intelligent enough to figure out he's not coming back in. All this reminded me of Coach Jim Mora when he was with the Saints. A group of reporters would not let up until Mora would give them an answer on injuries at a press conference. Finally, a reporter asked Mora "can you tell us what "particular" injury Smith has?" Mora's answer was classic as he rattled off each players injury....Smith has a "particular" knee; Jones has a "particular" elbow; Jackson has a "particular" shoulder....etc etc etc. It was hilarious and Classic Mora! Even then it gave us an insight on coaches. They will always find a way around giving the opposing team any kind of edge. That has been and always will be a part of the game. Get used to it!
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