SUPER BOWL XLV A DUD

Lets break it down.........

• I like Christina Aguilera. Her music and talent I believe are great. But if you are going to sing the National Anthem of your country, THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA, at the biggest sporting event in the world, in front of the largest audience your will ever perform in front of (TV & crowd). PLEASE study and know the words. Is that too much to ask for. Some I've read call it nerves or a sincere case of the jitters. NO! You are a professional performer who has been doing this since your days with Disney in 1993. Been on TV and movies, numerous world wide concert tours, featured at the 2007 NBA ALL*Star half-time show. Now your were given the honor of singing the Star Spangled Banner and you blew it.The singer issued this statement late on Sunday, February 6, 2011. "I got so lost in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

In a Jan. 24 statement when it was confirmed that she would sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, Aguilera said, "I have been performing the anthem since I was seven years old and I must say the Super Bowl is a dream come true." Next time maybe just right the words on your arm like NFL quarterbacks have the plays.

• Then there was the Black Eyed Peas. What can I say about there performance....TERRIBLE! I was really looking forward to this. I can't say I am a fan, but I do like some of there music. They were up next in a long line-up of great musicians to perform at half-time at the Super Bowl. Michael Jackson'93, Diana Ross'96, U2'02, Paul McCartney'05, The Rolling Stones'06, Prince'07, The Who'10 .

• Now itwas will.i.am, Fergie , Apl.de.ap and Taboo's turn to take this stage and in my opinion failed to live up to the standards set by there predecessors. True, the sound and using backtracks at Cowboy Stadium was horrible. Even bringing out Slash and Usher could not save this show.  Oh yea, they also changed the words to one of there songs "Where Is the Love?" saying,"In America we need to get things straight/Obama let's get these kids educated/Create jobs so the country stays stimulated/This is dedicated to all the innovators." To me, the are nothing more then a "Studio" band with so-so talent.

• Then of course there was the Super Bowl XLV commercial's. Some watch the game just for them. There were some good ones, my favorite is Cars.com: Car Buying Someone has to go first. But putting Joan Rivers head on someones else "hot" body for godaddy.com was stupid. A couple of themes were that cars are back as there were quite a few from the automaking industry. Lots of upcoming movies also were very prominunt as well. Lets face it, at over 3 million dollars for a 30 second spot it's getting very expensive for the little guy. Two other ones I want to mention were the Chrysler  / Eminem 2 minute spot,WAY TO LONG, and the Sketchers / Kim Kardashian, NICE AND HOT. Watch them all here→SUPER BOWL XLV ADS

• Now the game. Two good teams, Green Bay Packers 31 and the Pittsburgh Steelers 25, fought it out till the very last minute. But this game was far from a classic. Green Bay should have blown away the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers was simply brillant at 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns without an interception named MVP of SB XLV. It could have been much more as at least two Packer wide receivers dropped two cleat TD passes. They also lost several key members of there team including cornerback and team leader Charles Woodson to a broken collarbone. Valuable veteran receiver Donald Driver went down with a bad ankle in the first quarter and play-making rookie cornerback Sam Shields hurt his shoulder and was out of the game for a significant portion of the second half.

• The Packers forced the Pittsburgh Steelers into three turnovers in Super Bowl XLV, converting each into touchdowns. Big Ben Roethlisberger finished with 25 of 40 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.This game was entertaining, but far from a classic or even a very good game.

• The Super Bowl trophy was renamed in 1970 in memory of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi after his sudden death from cancer to commemorate his victories in the first two Super Bowls. NOW it is back in the Frozen Tundra of GREEN BAY!

Spring is Coming!

UPDATE: SPRING IS COMING say the GROUNDHOGS!

This winter, 2010/2011, has been nothing less then TERRIBLE so far and it's only half over.

At one point this winter season there was snow on the ground in 49 of 50 states! Can anyone guess which state didn't have snow? ANSWER! 

But wait, there's hope. The end maybe coming soon. For those masters of weather prognosticators are getting ready to fortell if winter has breathed it's last flakes of snow. YES FOLKS, IT'S GROUNDHOG DAY!

The history of this day is said to have originated from ancient European weather lore in which a badger or sacred bear predicts the weather, rather than a groundhog. It also has religious origins, as it shares similarities with Candlemas Day, which is also on Feb. 2. According to an old English song, "If Candlemas be fair and bright,/ Come, Winter, have another flight."

So lets look at the starting lineup:

Since 1886, The most famous groundhog, in various forms, is Gobbler’s Knob Pennsylvania’s own Punxsutawney Phil. Yes this marmot even had a movie made about him. The 1993 "Groundhog Day" staring Bill Murray is now a cult classic. Phil has NOT seen his shadow 14% of the time indicating an Early Spring. He has been right with his forecast's 39% of the time.NO SHADOW 2011


Since 1981, Staten Island Chuck has impressed with his pronostication's. In his 29 years he has been right 22 times which gives him a 76% accuracy rate. From his home at the Staten Island Zoo, he has developed quit a reputaion in a short amount of time. All his celebraty status has gone to chucks head just ask New York City's Mayor Mike Bloomburg as Chuck tries to have his hand for breakfast in this video.NO SHADOW 2011

Since 1990 General Beauregard Lee fromYellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Georgia just outside of Atlanta. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Georgia - "DWP, Doctor of Weather Prognostication" and Georgia State University - "Doctor of Southern Groundology." He has been a proclaimed accuracy rate of 94% predicting early springs or late winters.NO SHADOW 2011

Those are the three most well known, the ones we turn too with fingures crossed hoping that spring will arrive early and save us all from six more weeks of cold and snow and ice. One person every year says to me that this day should be a national holiday.

All I'm saying is that there is hope on the horizon that just maybe one of these rodent's wont see his shadow and we can all forget shovaling, scraping, bundaling up and have thoughts of baseball, planting our gardens and starting our spring cleaning. That is until February 3 when that next storm hits us. ENOUGH WINTER!

YOUR PREDICTIONS ON WHAT THE GROUNDHOG PREDICTS:

Early Spring/More Winter

The REAL State of the Union

It has been two years since Barack Obama has taken the Presidential reigns from George W. Bush. Lets take a quick look back to see where we were on January 2009 to where we are today on January 2011.

Take a look and YOU decide are things getting better, worse or the same? Are we on the right path, or headed for derailment AGAIN. Now with a split House, it will be even tougher to get anything done. Should have Obama gotten MORE done when the Democrats controlled both houses? Did his party LET HIM DOWN? I think they did!

FACTS:
Gas Prices on January 2009 $1.68 NOW January 2011 $3.11 and NO signs of stopping.

The U.S. jobless rate was 7.8% in January 2009 NOW 9.4 January 2011. A VERY slight drop from the high of 9.8% but NO real improvement in sight.


Oil prices per barrel on January 23,2009 $46.47, NOW on  January 24,2011 $87.61

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) 
BUT already In 2011 I've seen a RISE of 15% in Employers/Employees rates and the BULK of the reform hasn't even gone into effect.
Now individuals will be FORCED to get health care or pay a fine, makes NO sense.
Candate Obama was offended by the idea that every American should be forced to buy a government-approved health policy or face a fine. Candadate Obama DID campaign for a Public Option "establish a new public insurance program available to Americans who neither qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP nor have access to insurance through their employers."(but we got NO PUBLIC OPTION)

Origional est.cost, $500 billion to $650 billion. Now est.cost is $940 billion
The republicans in the house have already voted to repeal, senate will take it up next. I say, Don't repeal, but make it better. There are good and bad in this bill. Work together, PLEASE, and make it better. Stop the rise in premiums NOW. #SOTU PRESIDENT AGREES WITH ME" So instead of re-fighting the battles of the last two years, let's fix what needs fixing and move forward."

Stock Market January 20, 2009: 7,920.66 Close. Stock Market January 24, 2011 11,980.52. The greed has come back to wall street on the backs of every American.

National Debt Total: January 2009 - $10,699,804,864,612
National Debt Total: January 2011 - $14,003,420,744,930

US Troops in Iraq on January 2009 -140,000
US Troops in Iraq on January 2011 -  50,000

US troops in Afghanistan January 2009 -   34,000
US troops in Afghanistan January 2011 - 100,000*
*The Obama administration's plan to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July and NATO's agreement for Afghan forces to assume the security lead in 2014 provide transition to full Afghan lead beginning this year and concluding in 2014."

Banks have NOT started lending again, as the interest rates for savings consumers fall to all time lows. Rate is STILL at Dec 16, 2008 levels: 0.0–0.25%

List of OBAMA'S LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS  & APPROVAL RATINGS

2009	2010
January 29: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act	January 27: Emergency Aid to American Survivors of Haiti Earthquake Act
February 4: Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act	March 4: Travel Promotion Act
February 17: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act	March 18: Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act)
March 30: Omnibus Public Lands Management Act	March 23: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
April 21: Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act	March 30: Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act
May 20: Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act	May 5: Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act
May 20: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act	May 17: Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act
May 22: Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act	July 21: Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
May 22: Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act	July 22: Unemployment Compensation Extension Act
June 22: Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act	July 22: Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act
October 22: Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act	August 10: SPEECH Act
October 28: Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act	September 27: Small Business Jobs and Credit Act
October 30: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act	December 17: Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act
November 6: Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act	December 13: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
	December 19: Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act
	December 21: Food Safety and Modernization Act
	December 22: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
	December 22: START Treaty Ratification

 What do you think? #UBTALKBACK
You can read the President's State of the Union Address click Picture

Which Fanbase deserves a Super Bowl More? VOTE

 There are four teams left in the 2010/2011 NFL playoffs. Four worthy cities hoping there team will be in the XLV Super Bowl at Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington,Texas. But what fan base deserves to have there team to make it their? 

Lets quickly look at the Teams:

NEW YORK JETS:

Long suffering Jets fans will say, US. Last time this team was in a Super Bowl was of course Joe "Willie" Namath and the Jan.12,1969  Super Bowl III win over the heavily favorite Baltimore Colts.   There Playoff History speaks for itself. In the 42 years since their ONLY Super Bowl win they have ONLY been in the playoffs 13 times, with a record of 10-13. I would have to rank them as the NUMBER ONE Fan Base to have there team in a SB. Long suffering the most, IT'S TIME!

GREEN BAY PACKERS:

Packers fans will say they deserve it more. A longer Playoff History dating back to the old NFL Championship Days from 1938, they have been in three Super Bowls I, II and XXXI. Winning two out of three. But since the lost to Denver Broncos in SB 31 in 1998, they have been in the Playoffs eight out of the next 13 years, with a record of 5-7. But , they also had Brett Favre! In a close call, I would have to rank them as the Third most deserving Fan Base to have their team in a SB.

CHICAGO BEARS:

THE BEARS! There fans will say they ARE! Also dating back to the old NFL Championship days from 1933, there Playoff History reflects two Super Bowl Appearances in SB XX ,Win, and SB XLI, Loss. We will always remember their key super star, Walter "Sweetness" Payton, RIP. Since there last SB win in 1986, they have been in the playoffs 10 times out of 25 years with a record of 6-9. I would rank them as the SECOND most deserving Fan Base to have their team in a SB.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

Steelers fans will say they are MOST worthy. There Playoff History dates back to 1947. They have been in the most Super Bowls of the four that are left, Seven. They have won a record six times, with there latest coming in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. There Playoff Record is impressive, as are the many great players that they have had over the years. Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swan, "Mean" Joe Green to name just a few. I would rank them as the FOURTH Deserving Fan Base to have their team in the SB. There history is against them.

  

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN. VOTE FOR;

Which Fanbase deserves a Super Bowl More?