Sooooo. I thought I posted this last week. Better late than never, huh?
This will not take long.
With his win last night, Tom Brady has now joined an elite group. He is only the third quarterback to win four Super Bowls as a starter. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana are the others. With his win, the talk has now begun about whether or not Brady is the best ever.
I can answer that for you. NO.
I know. I know. I have heard it repeatedly. Brady has been to more Super Bowls. Montana had Rice. Brady played in the cold. Montana was one and done in the playoffs three straight years. Brady came off the bench to to replace Bledsoe. Montana was put on the bench for Steve Young. Yada yada yada.
Despite all of that, there is one fact you cannot dispute. Montana was undefeated in Super Bowls. He three 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Yes, I know. Brady has done more with less. I will never dispute that. It speaks to his greatness but if you want me to believe Montana would not have been capable of doing the same thing with that type of talent then you will be waiting forever. Ya’ll do know Montana lead the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship game in 1993, right? Who were his wide receivers? Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
I could go on and on and on but I feel no need to do that. My mind is made up. Joe Cool stands alone. Brady does make my top 5 though. Will that satisfy you naysayers?
Six years. $110 million dollars. $61 million dollars guaranteed. $12 million dollar signing bonus.
I will say it again, Kap got paid! Cha ching. Using a Quill pen yesterday, Colin Kaepernick solidified his claim as the franchise QB for my beloved San Francisco 49ers. The question is did he deserve that kind of money? My answer is no. First, I have to try and not get on my athletes make waaaay too much money soapbox. Second, he only has 29 starts under his belt. Frankly, over in Kassie’s world, the jury is still partially out on Kap. Now do not twist my words. I am glad Harbaugh pulled the infamous San Francisco Switcheroo in 2011. In two and a half years, Kap has already managed to take us to two straight NFC Championships and was a yard away from being a Super Bowl champion.
However, I just we had more time to evaluate Kap before we shelled out that kind of cash. I would like to see more consistency from him. We all know he can run. We all know he can throw. Now it is up to him to prove to us that he understands the game to the point where he knows when to run and when to throw. 29 starts is barely scratching the surface in the National Football League so he still has a lot to learn. Unfortunately for the franchise, it was a deal that needed to get done before the season so there would not be any “distractions.” Oh and it also forces ESPN to find a new 9ers story for the season.
The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” (except for when we are talking about Tony Romo) and if you put Kap up against the other top QBs in the league then it is easy to make sense of why his pockets are now fully loaded. Based simply off of that, he deserves the money he got. Again, do not twist my words. What I just said does not contradict what I said earlier. Kap got his start at just the right time. Three years before his contract ends. With his resume, my 9ers had to pay him what they did or someone else would have. That is just the nature of the biz.
With the stroke of that pen, Kap and the 9ers also managed to create a mess for other teams. The struggle that is the salary kap just got extra real for some teams. I am not sure what some of their kap space is looking like but I can assure you that other top QBs who have contract negotiations coming up were taking notes yesterday. I wonder if Russell Wilson will thank Kap when he signs his new contract. He should. He already had his Super Bowl ring as leverage and Kap just added to his stash. Can you say cha cha ching?
So there you have it. Kap got paid. I wish we could have waited. And FOOTBALL SEASON is still months away. Sigh. Oh and this Niner Faithful is accepting nothing less than a Super Bowl win this year from Kap and the Niner Gang. It is time to complete the Quest for Six.
Until next time…TOODELLS.
P.S. But for real though, how many days until FOOTBALL SEASON?? Sista over here feenin. Bad.
You all know how much I loooooooooooove Peyton Williams Manning. You all know how much I loooooooooooove Russell Carrington Wilson. So the question becomes, which QB am I pulling for in the Super Bowl???
Now the answer you all have been waiting for……
. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
{Source: CBS Sports}
Yep. I am pulling for #18. I actually made the decision BEFORE the NFC Championship Game. As a loyal Faithful, it is impossible for me to cheer for the Seattle Seahawks, as a whole, to achieve such a major accomplishment. My Gold Blood just will not allow it. That is what happens when a rivalry gets very real. Everything shifts. I fully expect #18 to carve up one of the best defenses in the league. He may not hang 30 on them but I am looking for him to pass for at least 300. It is what he does. And then when he wins all the talking heads can finally stop talking about how he cannot get it done in the postseason. Who am I kidding?? The talking heads will still find something to yap about. Now if the Seahawks happen to pull off the upset, then I will definitely be happy for Russell as well as J.R. Sweezy and Steven Hauschka(WOLFPACK!!!) Shoutout to Nate Irving(WOLFPACK!) who plays for the Broncos. Only one school, Tennessee, has more players playing in the Super Bowl than we do.
Looking forward to a great game!! PEYTON BOUT TO PUT IN WORK!! HEEEEEEEEY!! PEYTON BOUT TO PUT IN WORK!! HEEEEEEY!!
I am still kicking myself for not making the drive down to Charlotte last night. I had to listen to my body though. To say I was tired would have been an understatement. It is at times like these that I need a chauffeur. Any takers??
Last night was a BIG night for my Carolina Panthers. No we did not lock up home field advantage for the playoffs. No we did not clinch the division. No we did not clinch a playoff spot. What we did do last night is FINISH. On Monday night. Against a Tom Brady led squad. We FINISHED. Something we have struggled to do the last three years. Last night was a statement game in the Queen City. A chance to show the world that the Panthers, at least for this season, are a force to be reckoned with. And to think, just seven weeks ago, A LOT of you were calling young Cameron Newton a fluke and wanted head coach Ron Rivera fired. Now you all are all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram bragging about how you have been a fan since day one. Blah. Blah. Blah.
{Source: Google Images}
Let me tell you this. A REAL FAN NEVER gives up on their team. Sure, a real fan can criticize to some extent. A real fan can wonder aloud why a certain play was called. A real fan can even turn the channel when things get a little too rough. You have to turn back though. Do not be THAT fan. However, REAL FANS do not give up on their team. Especially after a 1 and 3 start. Four games into the season I saw it happen. A REAL FAN is always an optimist even if the reality staring you in the face is inevitable. You have to believe in your team at all times. Through the good and the bad. REAL CAROLINA PANTHER FANS should have never given up on this team. Helloooooo. Do you know who is one the roster?? Cameron Newton. Steve Smith. Luke Keuchly. Thomas Davis. Mike Tolbert. Graham Gano. Brandon LaFell. DeAngelo Williams. Greg Olsen. Charles Johnson. Do I even need to continue?? With that kind of talent a turnaround was bound to happen at some point. Did I expect it to happen the way that it did? Nope but we have seen it happen before. Remember the 2011 New York Midgets, I mean Giants, who entered the playoffs with a 9-7 record and went on to win the Super Bowl. Yeah. Any Given Sunday. Or Monday. Or Thursday.
Last night I screamed, whooped and talked trash. You know, what I normally do during games. Then it happened. Someone tried it. They came after my FANHOOD. Big mistake. Most of you know how I am about my FANHOOD but for those of you who do not, I will provide you with the scoop. My peeps love to joke me all the time about my FANHOOD because I am a fan of two teams. They tell me I can not be a fan of two teams. It does not work that way. Ask me if I care though :-}? My life. My rules. My FANHOOD. However, for those followers who do not know how this came about, here it goes…
10.26.93. The day the NFL announced Charlotte would be receiving a team. I remember sitting in my living room watching the presser. I was so excited! I have been a die-hard and Faithful fan of the San Francisco 49ers since approximately 1984/85. I was raised in a household where you were a fan of your team no matter what. Exiting my relationship with my 49ers was out of the question so the only logical thing to do was to be a fan of both teams. And that is the stance I have taken since 1993. I have cheered for both teams. I have been mad when both teams have lost very close games. I was in Charlotte on 02.01.04 for SuperBowl 38. How could I not be? My Panthers were just 1-15 two years prior. I am still a tad upset about last year’s SuperBowl debacle especially since my 49ers may not make it back this year if they keep playing the way they have been playing. I shall remain optimistic though. As you can see, I experience a wide range of emotions every year.
Last night, I was proud to call myself a Carolina Panthers fan. Last night I was proud to be a North Carolinian. And last night I was proud to say I am a Carolina Panthers fan who has been there since day one. For us day one fans, last night was a big deal. We have not had much to cheer about for the last decade. Last night was for us. The fans who saw the Panthers play in Memorial Stadium on the campus of Clemson University during their first year. The fans who can remember singing the “Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina for a Panthers football gaaaame!” during the first few years in Ericsson. The fans who have original Howl Towels. That win was for us! Those who stuck around during the tough times. Those that did not give up on the team. Those who are proud that in that particular moment when our team had a chance to make a statement, it did just that. I am sure some people will say we are being real extra right now but who cares! While we do not know what will be the ultimate outcome of this season, it feels good, for now, to be fans of one of the hottest teams in the league right now. It feels good to have more double yous than losses. It feels good to say I AM A CAROLINA PANTHERS FAN!
And to those of you who want to now call yourself a fan or you were not a fan before young Cameron Newton took over behind center, please do us a Michael Jackson favor and “Beat It!” We know who you are and we are not afraid to call you out. Consider that your warning. #NoNewFans.
Until next time….TOODELLS!!!
Oh. P.S. For all you Pats fans who are still crying about the flag/no flag, TUCK RULE ANYONE?
Is anybody else tired besides me? This weekend of football wore me out. Sheesh. I need a nap. One of those good kindergarten naps. On a cot.
So where shall I start? I knooooow!!! Lets start with my team, the San Francisco 49ers!! Whoop whoooop!! We left shredded cheese all over The Stick. Green Bay started out hot but any chance they thought they had of winning quickly diminished when the legend of Colin Kaepernick was born. So did the hopes of Alex Smith getting his job back. In his first playoff game, Kaepernick completed 17 of 31 passes for 263 yards while throwing two touchdowns and one interception. That is not even the highlight of the game. He was the game’s leading rusher with 181 yards including a 56 yard touchdown run. Yeah, I know Green Bay’s defense is not the greatest but it held arguably the game’s best running back, Adrian Peterson, to 99 yards last week. Plus they have Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson. Serious ballers. None of that would matter as the 9ers pounded the Packers to advance to their second straight NFC Championship. Cheese for everyone!!!!
The game of the weekend had to be the Denver Broncos vs the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos, led by future Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning duked it out with the Ravens, led by future Hall Of Famer, Ray Lewis. The game had everything you wanted. Lead changes. Ties. Hard hitting. -2 weather. Snow. A prayer in the form of a football thrown by Ravens QB Joe Flacco caught by Ravens WR Jacoby Jones in the closing seconds of regulation. Overtime. Double overtime. A bad throw by Manning that was intercepted. A game winning kick by a rookie kicker to send the Ravens to their second straight AFC Championship. After all that, I am tired again.
The first game on Sunday looked to most like it would be a snoozer but like I tell anyone, if you have Russell Wilson as your QB, you always have a chance. The Falcons soon found out as the Seahawks came back from a 20 point deficit to take the lead with less than a minute left in the game. Everyone including me assumed that the game was over and that San Fran would host the NFC Championship game for the second year on a row. Wrong. The Seahawks defense that had been so intimidating and in your face all year, allowed Matt Ryan to throw two passes that would give the Falcons enough yards to kick a game winning field goal. To make matters worse, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, calls a timeout that he claims he did not call but they have it on tape, just as Atlanta’s kicker misses the field goal, wide right. I guess you know what happens next. Matt Bryant drills the field goal. The Falcons win. And my 9ers have to travel across the country to pluck feathers next week.
The last game of the weekend…..boooooring! New England easily defeated Roland Martin’s Houston Texans. I do not think anyone was surprised.
As far as predictions, I have my 49ers finally getting back to the Super Bowl. Their opponent will be the Baltimore Ravens. Bring on the “Harbaugh Bowl.”
Kassie Nette's Korner 