Guys! It's almost the Super Bowl!!!

Well...

Here

It

IS!

Pahchoooo! Pahchooo!

That's right! It's almost Super Bowl Sunday! (Sunday!) (Sunday!)

The invincible Denver Broncos led by the golden boy Peyton Manning will face off in the swirling vortex of snow-dom against the surging and brutal Seattle Seahawks. We've got a good old fashioned battle of Heroes vs. Villains thanks to the over the top personality of Richard Sherman. 

The SP&AB NFL Picks Recap

Hey there Pros and Bros! As I'm sure you all know, the Super Bowl is fast approaching! As I'm sure even more of you know, we made our picks back in September! Let's see how they panned out!

The Sports Pro:

This guy knows the game. Though a lot of the AFC went chalk, The Sports Pro was able to pick almost the whole AFC save for a Texans misstep (and frankly there were a lot of Texans missteps this year). 

The QB Shopping Cart: Who's on the Market in 2014?

It's week 4 of the NFL season. We're at the quarter post and things are looking good for some teams out there. They do not look good, however, for my Washington DC Sqaud (0-3) or my fantasy team (1-2).

So! Like any wise Average Bro would do...I'm calling this glass half empty and looking toward next season!

Last year's QB class swept into the NFL and fell right into their respective slots, flowing seamlessly into their systems. This year's class seems to have accidentally slipped into their spots with no one really able to get them out. With all this new tumultuous upheaval, it leaves many (very) somewhat talented quarterbacks to wonder what could be next? And fans too. What could this force out of old regimes mean for the future of the league?

Sports Pro's NFL Playoff Picks!

Hey Pros and Bros! It's that most wonderful time of the year again! It's time for:

That's Right! This is the start of the football season! And what better way to celebrate the start of the season than predicting how it will end! I've got my picks right below! Along with the Average Bro and his worthless opinions chiming in!

Do you agree with us? Super disagree with us? We want your opinion heard! Let us know your take on the 2013 Playoffs by commenting below or tweeting us @ProsandBros! We'll include your picks in our challenge to win prizes at the end of the season!

Well let's get to it already!

NFC

NFC North
Packers: Sure they lack a run game, something that Eddie Lacy won’t fix. Sure they lost Greg Jennings, someone that James Jones can’t replace. And sure their secondary, at times, can be suspect. But they’ve still got the best player in the game in #12 and solid front seven that got to the QB 47 times last season, 4th most in the NFL. It’s a tough division, but I think the Pack cruise to the top, finishing the regular season with 12 wins.

NFC South
Falcons: Matt Ryan comes into his 6th year as starting QB of the Falcons with a regular season home record of 35-5. So, even if they’re terrible on the road this year, they’ll still get 7 home wins. However, the Falcons high powered offense, and above-average defense, should equate to a few more wins than that. At 13-3 the Falcons will dominate the South, earning the top spot in the NFC.


NFC East
Washington: Shanahan can coach, Morris can run, and RGIII can throw. Orakpo is back from his super-scrabble caveman hiatus, and is ready to play. I expect the East, as usual, to be another close division, but with 11 wins the Skins will move on.

Average Bro's Take: I Super Duper agree!

The R*dsk*ns: Holding Firm to the Past and Learning Nothing From It

lastangryfan.com

As you all know ( or should know...read some earlier posts, would ya?) I am an avid Washington R*dsk*ns fan. I've written articles on why Peyton Manning should have come to DC and why RG3 is my guy (good thing we never got Peyton!). I've also written an article based around a possible name change for my beloved team. This topic seems to come up fairly often. It peaks during the off-season and then by the time September rolls around, the sports media is too busy with the game to worry about such silly matters as a team name. This off-season, however, the criticism seems to have stuck to the wall a little more than usual.

Pundits are talking about the racist team name in the mainstream media. ESPN has conducted full conversations and polls about the feelings on this name. Even the US Federal Government has gotten in on the issue. Ten members of congress have written letters to every NFL team, commissioner Roger Goodell, FedEx (the stadium sponsor) and Dan Snyder, the owner himself. In these letters they show disgust for the use of the word (only referring to it as the R-word) and compare it to the N-word.

Dan Snyder seems to have disregarded these letters and has vowed to never change the team's name.


This whole process seems eerily familiar to me.

The Selfish Truth: Injuries in the NFL

4,493

That's the number of injuries that afflicted NFL players over the 2011 season. This is kind of a scary statistic when you consider the NFL only has 1,696 active players at any given point. This is mostly minor injuries that only hold a player out of practice for around a week, but even those injuries can lead to missed games. 

There is no greater shame in sports than when an athlete can't compete because of injury. It's like if you had the job of your dreams and you couldn't go because of something out of your control. It hurts the athlete most of all, of course. But other people are affected by it as well.

What can you do? Fandom v. Fantasy

Picture this!

You're at your annual fantasy football draft. You and the guys are sharing some brews and some stories of last years season about how Kenny Britt didn't pan out just the way you expected (again). You get to your pick (number 10...of course) and you look to your needs and who's available. You're okay at Running Back and QB for now but what you could really use is a solid Receiver. You've also heard a lot about how Tight Ends are the big thing this year. And Matthew Berry said it?! That guy's info is gold! Sign me up! AND You have the wrap around pick and can scoop up that WR and that TE in one fell swoop! Look's like this blind squirrel just found a nut!

Let's see who's the next best players available! It's Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. The guys behind them  are a ways off. Great right?!

What if you're an Eagle's Fan? You want to win your fantasy league, but the thought of cheering for two Cowboys players every week makes your stomach turn. If they both have big games for you, odds are this could lead to a Dallas victory. And Tony Romo will jump around with his smug smile and think he's an elite quarter back and Chris Collinsworth will confirm this. And you wanted it that way. So it's all your fault.

It's all about the Story Lines

So who's up for a game of guess who!?

1. This Quarterback was drafted late his year. He was the last string QB on a team that decided to carry four players in that position. Scouts said he lacked great physical stature and strength. They said he could't throw a tight spiral. They said he lacked mobility and the ability to avoid the rush. Most scouts thought he would be nothing more than a backup in the NFL.

2. This QB was drafted more towards the middle of the event. He was known to have a good arm but one scout noted that he only went to one receiver and would force it to him even if he was in a crowd. He was called cocky and a gambler. It was assumed he could eventually start despite he fact that he didn't have great tools. He sat the bench his whole first season in the league and split time his second year.

3. This QB was taken in the first round but behind several others at his position. He was thought to have good tools but was very raw. He was said to have no throwing motion and wasn't expected to be a top prospect. During the two seasons before he entered the league, no other undergraduate athlete threw more interceptions. Beyond all of this, he had a bad attitude and was immatue. He touted himself as the best QB in the draft even after he was picked so late.

Do you know who's who?

It's kind of a big deal: Calvin Johnson

Hello Pros and Bros out there! And welcome to a new article series where we discuss the signings of the free agency period and trades. Since it's a big time for the NFL we'll be mainly focusing on that but there will be more! You just wait!

Today were going to talk about a deal that just got done.

Calvin Johnson signs with the Detroit Lions for 7 years $130 Million!

 

Woah! I don't know how to put this, but...It's kind of a big deal! 

Calvin scored big with this deal and he deserves it. There is no better deep threat in the league today then Megatron himself. He is not the sole reason for the Detroit Lions turn around this year, but he is a massive part of it. Without him, Matthew Stafford doesn't grow into the QB he became this year. Brandon Pettigrew can only do so much.

Is Peyton eveything your team will ever need?

 

As a Washington Football fan, I was closely following Peyton Manning and his off-season decisions. Now that they have future Hall of Famer, Robert Griffin III (or first Quarterback on the moon, whichever comes first), I don't pay as much attention, but it's impossible to wade through the sports world without stubbing your toe on a good amount of Manning.

One thing that is an overwhelmingly obvious thought is that, whatever team he goes to, he will make them a great deal better. Duh right? Why would anyone go after him if it didn't make them better? That's the point of all of this hulla baloo! Not to mention the fact that he's Peyton Freakin' Manning!

RG3 is Alright by Me!

There is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. It is probably one of the most important things in terms of my sports life. It brings me great joy and, more often, great disappointment. And they have recently been in the news with one of their risky, splashy off-season moves.
Washington has sold the farm in order to acquire the second round pick in this years NFL Draft. A pick that will almost surely bring them one Robert Griffin III.

I haven't spoken on this subject. Not in a blog post or a tweet or anything. I'm not upset about it. I've just been marinating on it. And I feel I'm ready to discuss my feelings.

First let me take you through how I found out about the RG3 news. I was convinced, despite everyone else's opinion, that Peyton Manning would be coming to DC. I mean why not! It's not like they've had a terrible history of QB's there since Lawrence Taylor created the reason for the movie the Blind Side (Theisman was one thing LT, but did you have to give us that film too?).

Opening Day: Are we there yet?

25. 30. 67.

These are the days we have until Pitchers and Catcher report, the full start of spring training, and Opening Day, respectively. Now, I know the NFL season isn't technically over yet and the NBA and NHL are in full swing, but football is king. And baseball: it's sweet prince.

My Children's Game

The year was 1876. Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for a little invention he called the "telephone". Johns Hopkins University opened in Baltimore, Maryland. And Heinz Tomato Ketchup was introduced to the public. The nation was only a baby at one hundred years old, but so many great people were causing great things to happen. Greater than all of these events and all these Men, however,  was a greater celebration. In this year, the great Walter Camp was at the Massasoit Convention, drafting the first rules of American Football.

NFL Best in Bro

OOH! OUCH! Hot off the presses! The NFL Best in Bro! Featuring our new addition "The Sultan"! We rattle down our lists of who gets the playoff spots in this NFL Season.

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This topsy-turvey NFL

With a limited off season and the mad rush for practice and free agency, people have predicted this will be a very interesting season. And if we just look at the preseason, I would say that this holds true. I know it's just preseason, but I think this preseason is far different than any we've seen before. These games are OTAs, mini-camp, try-outs, and exhibition all in one. Some of the leagues best quarterbacks seem to be falling flat, while some of the other guys are making impressive runs. I know, I know! It's just preseason. But....

Flying without a Pilot: Washington Quarterback-less plans

It's 2011. The ESPN proclaimed "Year of the Quarterback". Arron Rodgers brought the current champions of football to the Lombardi Trophy despite a core of older veteran receivers and a slew of injuries. Tom Brady is such a great quarterback that he takes 5'9" Deion Branch and Wes Welker and makes them dangerous threats in the backfield. Drew Brees makes his receivers top fantasy prospects who, without him, would be 8th round picks at best. It would seem during this "pass-first" era in the NFL, the Quarterback would naturally be the main gun in any teams arsenal. Even in any era this would seem to be common sense.

So, for yet another season, Washington strives to work against common sense.

Next Steps for Terrelle Pryor

It has now been a few days since the Ohio State controversy reached its boiling point (or at least they hope its as bad as it will get). Jim Tressel resigned after a catastrophic attempt at cover up after cover up. Terrelle Pryor, the central character in the continuing Ohio State investigation, decided he would not return for his senior season for the best of the University. This was just days after Pryor claimed he would do just the opposite and stay. That was before more information leaked about Pryor breaking even more NCAA rules than was originally thought.

  Was this the right decision? I am not sure. I don't know Terrelle himself and I cannot judge him. The only thing I can look at is what he has done. I understand him leaving. It is the easier way out. He buried himself very deep (with the help of his head coach and former/current teammates) and would need a bull dozer to dig himself out (hopefully not one paid for by OSU). When all you want to do is play football, why should you worry about a huge distraction if you don't have to? Based on this we now need to look at his future options.