FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART QUINCE

(click on your computer's SAP app to find out which PART this is)

SUBLIME

This Old Dog Beat The Young Pup

Super Bowl 50 featured "Superman", who all the pundits were calling the best quarterback in the game today - see what happens Aaron Rodgers when you give up that mantle - and "The Sheriff", who was called the worst quarterback to start a Super Bowl by FoxSports - who we know is the bastion of truth, justice and the American Way.

When the dust settled Peyton "The Sheriff" Manning was standing on the podium with the Lombardi Trophy while Cam "Superman" Newton was doing his best Marshawn Lynch and Bill Belichick impressions answering - and I say that while laughing out loud - questions before abruptly getting up and ending the post-game interviews in mid-question showing the real Cam Newton and not the fake modest Cam Newton who answered question after question after question even though it did get tedious and he said so during the week before the game.

Newton Muted

I'm not a Peyton Manning fan, but I'm really not a Cam Newton fan, so watching Newton give up in the face of the Broncos defense intense pressure - Aaron Rodgers didn't give up when he was pounded by the Broncos - and get his comeuppance was about as SUBLIME it got for me Sunday short of the Packers winning that Super Bowl.

SUBLIME, PART 2

The Super Bowl 50 Golden Team was announced before the Big Game and 3 Packers made the cut. Right tackle Forrest Gregg from Super Bowls 1 & 2 represented the offense. Left Defensive End Reggie White from Super Bowl 31 represented the defense. And kick returner Desmond Howard from Super Bowl 31 represented the special teams.

Simply The Best - Forrest Gregg

Vince Lombardi was quoted as saying, "Forrest Gregg is the finest player he ever coached." Gregg was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977.

The Minister of Defense - Reggie White

Reggie White holds the record for most sacks in a game with three of Drew Bledsoe and is second overall with 4 behind Charles Haley's 4.5, who played in 5 Super Bowls.

The One And Only - Desmond Howard

Desmond Howard is the only special teamer to named Super Bowl MVP after returning a kickoff for 99 yards and a touchdown and two punts for 32 and 34 yards.

RIDICULOUS

Lady Gaga Rocks The National Anthem

It was a big betting night Sunday and 86% of the "early" money was on the Panthers. Wednesday the tide started to shift and by game time only 51% of the money was backing the Panthers (some one knew something) and with only $50,000 being the difference.

Like all sporting events there were other things to bet on and one of the side bets was how long Lady Gaga's National Anthem would be.

Bovada, a betting outlet, set the over/under at 2:20 and it seemed she went over that. But that has turned into a ridiculous controversy with Bovada saying the official time was 2:09, so it was paying the under.

Most people thought she went 2:26 by singing the last two words "the brave" twice. But Bovada set the time at 2:09 by cutting it off when she sang "the brave" the first time. BetOnline thought the song went as long as Lady Gaga was singing, so it is paying the over.

Since the majority of the money was bet on under Bovada would have better off saying it went 2:26, so you can't say they were cheating.

I think the controversy is ridiculous. The bet is on Lady Gaga's version and not a betting outfit's idea of when a song is over. If she decided to pull a Christina Aguilera or a Mariah Carey and extend each note 10 seconds or add her own lyrics then that is her version. In case anyone is wondering my count came in a 2:30.

As Mr. "May He Rest In Peace" Spock would say, "it's logical" that Lady Gaga's version lasts as long as Lady Gaga is singing. Case Closed.

MORE RIDICULOUS

Third Worst QB in NFL History Rick Mirer

When Manning was given the title of the worst quarterback to start a Super Bowl it got me thinking about who the worst quarterbacks of all-time were and which team holds the distinction of employing the most of the them.

I found an article on COMPLEX that ranked the 50 worst quarterbacks in NFL history, but it was hard to tell if the authors (Nick Restivo and Doug Sibor) looked all the way back to the 1947 when quarterback became an actual position (before that the passer was a blocking back) or just recent memory.

Putting that aside I was worried when I found the Packers have employed nine of those 50 and it was looking like they were the worst. But luckily the Buccaneers had 10 and the Raiders led the league with 13 including 3 of the top 10:  #2 (JaMarcus Russell), #3 (Rick Mirer) and #6 (Todd Marinovich)..

To be fair the Packers had 5 of the top 20: #3 (Rick Mirer), #9 (Akili Smith), #11 (Tim Couch), #18 (Dave Klingler) and #19 (Rick Norton). To the Packers credit none of the five were starters.

The other four were Bobby Douglass at 22, Randy Wright at 29, Zeke Bratkowski at 30 and Mike Tomcsak at 46. Only Wright and Tomcsak were starters.

MORE RIDICULOUS, PART 2

I haven't watch the Pro Bowl since 2011 when it became a joke because the defense didn't rush the passer, so the quarterback could just sit there and wait for someone to get open. That is not football.

However, what is really ridiculous about the Pro Bowl is it is no longer NFC vs. AFC, but Team (Jerry) Rice vs. Team (Deion) Sanders. I hate that. The format was changed to make it more fan-friendly, but what wasn't fan-friendly about NFC vs. AFC. Giving another platform to that egotistical laughing hyena Deion Sanders grips my butt.

But that really isn't why I mention the Pro Bowl here. Did anyone see what Richard Sherman did during the Pro Bowl a week ago?  Take a look.

Richard Sherman Cheap Shotting Clay Matthews at the Pro Bowl

Clay Matthews should have clocked him good like Colts linebacker Mike Curtis did to a fan who ran onto the field during a game in 1971 and stole the football.

Mike Curtis Taking Care of Business

MOST RIDICULOUS

The oldest man who made the Worst Quarterbacks in NFL History was drafted in the second round of the 1953 draft and they explained his selection by saying, "It's hard to throw 122 interceptions in 50 career starts. (He) managed to throw that unthinkable amount of interceptions over his career, but maybe he was concentrating on his punting form as he was the punter for the Bears in the 1954 season."

They went on to ridicule him by saying, "Shockingly enough, "(He)" managed to make his way into the Packers hallowed Hall of Fame having only made 13 career starts." Does anyone know who they are referring to? Well, it was a quarterback Packer Backers of an older vintage love Uncle Zekie Bratkowski.

40-Year Old Zeke Getting The Job Done

That last statement showed they were looking at the statistics alone and not the context of his Packers career. Just to let them know Bratkowski was elected to the Packers Hall of Fame because he was Bart Starr's backup during the Glory Years from 1963 to 1968.

Zeke As A Bear

After taking out the first eight years he played for the Bears and Rams his Packers statistics during the last five seasons of Lombardi were 28 games played (3 starts with a 2-1 record) 253 attempts-133 completions-2,014 yards-14 TDs-19 interceptions.

Zeke As A Ram

Under Phil Bengston in 1968 Starr was injured a lot and Bratkowski at the age of 37 played in 10 games with 5 starts going 2-2-1 (126-68-835-3TD-7int). He then retired to become a Packers assistant coach from 1969 to 1970. He was asked to return at the age of 40 in 1971 by Dan Devine to serve as Scott Hunter's backup because Bart Starr had off-season surgery and didn't get back on the field until the final four games. Bratkowski played in 6 games starting 1 (37-19-298-4TD-3int).

Zeke (left) Being Inducted Into The Georgia-Florida Hall of Fall

I think the authors should have looked a little deeper when they decided to ridicule someone. No one does in-depth research any more and that makes this the most ridiculous.