Video: Top 2012 Super Bowl commercials

My two personal favorites from this list were the E*Trade and Doritos commercials. Looking forward to see what is in store this year.

Video: Nike's Black History Month tribute

It requires heart to acquire an absence of fear is probably my favorite line from this video. Peep this poetic masterpiece by Nike.  

Watch: What will your Space Jam be?

Advice for the day: Dont stop dreaming...unless your dream is stupid.

This message is approved by the Kid President. 

Watch: Kick off your week with 52

Touching interview by one of the greatest to ever strap on a helmet.
Ray Lewis' inspiring comeback may be headlined as the main catalyst to a Baltimore Super Bowl run, but it was nothing short of a TEAM effort.
The Ravens' locker room is pregnant with men of faith, and their belief alone ushered them into New Orleans.
The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.

TBT: Attitude Reflects Leadership

Remember the Titans was such a "strong" movie for so many reasons. We can all dwell upon the rigorous training camp conducted by Denzel Washington (Herman Boone) and the flair the team played with on the field, but ultimately football was just the backdrop in this film.
The real message was echoed in Washington and Will Patton (Coach Bill Yoast) learning to coexist with one another. In a time where everything was literally black and white, the two found balance and swallowed their pride. Both Coach Yoast and Boone beat the relentless racial prejudice TOGETHER, showing hope of a future to come in a cruel time. Hat tip to Jerry Bruckheimer for another masterpiece.

AFC/NFC Championship Game forecast

Thank God for the Divisional Round because the NFL Wildcard games were dreadful (outside of the Redskins-Seahawks contest of course). Wildcard weekend should never bare resemblance to a NHL lockout press conference. I know I can’t be the only one that felt like this, but let's shift our concentration to the second round of the NFL playoffs.

What didn’t this past weekend feature? A valiant comeback turned into heartbreak, an upset in Mile High due to an appalling secondary miscue, a breeze by in Foxboro to meet a familiar foe, and a groundbreaking performance (literally) by a young star in his playoff debut. Yeah, it’s a bit of an understatement to say I enjoyed the divisional playoff action.
And for the icing on the cake, my postseason predictions stand at 7-1 with both of my preseason Super Bowl picks alive— Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. My record would be much more impressive if I didn’t jump off the Ravens bandwagon (it was a tough decision, but I succumbed to “Golden boy” Peyton Manning’s indomitable season statistics and the Denver Broncos 11-game win streak), but I’m sure those that bleed purple will forgive me. And if you don’t forgive me, kick rocks barefoot I’ll remind you of 13th commandment stated by John Madden, “let he who is without mistake, cast the first football.”
But the past is the past, and I’m ready to move on to my picks for the championship games.

AFC Championship Game
Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots
My pick: Spygate Patriots 

Just when my Baltimore followers forgave me lol. Hear me out before you exit the site though. Despite me selecting the Ravens as a preseason favorite, I’ve always been apprehensive of Baltimore’s offense going all the way back to Trent Dilfer. The prowess to explode is always high, but the consistency is Casper (translation- ghost) as I would like to say. And the reason for my trepidation is Joe Flacco.
My best comparison for Flacco is a yo-yo. Great arm, but who knows what to expect on any given Sunday with him. He can throw for 300 yards and 3 TD’s and then combine for only four touchdowns total in the next four weeks. In addition, that bomb to Jacoby Jones should have never taken place. Putrid timing by the safety, but nonetheless, the Ravens were thrown a bone and took advantage of it. But next week’s road show is one that won’t be up for grabs. Ray Lewis and company will have to go into Foxboro and smack the Pats in the mouth.
Where the Patriots and Broncos differ is that Patriots have a litany of weapons. As I mentioned in my tweet this last weekend in regards to Shane Veeren’s standout performance, the Patriots are the best at drafting no-names and turning them into gems. The obvious reason for this of course is the unflappable Tom Brady. But because I’m feeling nice, I’ll let you all in on Brady’s kryptonite. Not really as esoteric as some may think, but here it is. Brady, similar to every other quarterback, doesn’t do well under pressure (told you it wasn't that classified). As I alluded to above, knock down Brady repeatedly and the rest will handle it self. There’s a reason why the Giants have his number on the big stage. Hit him hard and often is the anecdote for success for Baltimore. But because I don’t see this happening, I have chosen Brady to reach his sixth Super Bowl. So much for a rubber match.

NFC Championship Game
San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons
My pick: 49ers

Just when you thought the monkey grew into a gorilla on Matt Ryan's back, Ryan motionlessly responded with two big throws in 31 seconds to earn his first playoff victory (La Heim!).  But all good things must come to an end; the Falcons train isn't destined for New Orleans. Russell Wilson torched the dirty birds for 445 total yards last week, and the Falcons welcome in another 400+ yard freak. He goes by the name of Colin Kaepernick and for young player, he plays with a lot panache. Just asked the Packers defense who was burned for 444 yards in his playoff debut.

The 49ers offense is just as explosive as the Falcons with one big difference: Kaepernick’s legs. I’ll hold off on calling him Michael Vick 2.0, but he did break the single-game playoff record for QB rushing yards with 181 yards (previously held by Vick). The scary thing is that Kaepernick doesn’t use his legs unless it’s a last resort. So not only will Asante Samuel have to tackle, but actually attempt to defend. Scary thought right? And I haven’t even mentioned who the young star has running routes for him and in his back field. Good luck with that task Atlanta.

In closing I pinpoint the Falcons offense who hasn’t really faced a stout defenses this entire year. They will Sunday. The 49ers-D is the reason I’ve been high on this team all year long. The verve and electricity they portray is exciting. San Francisco fell short last year due to some costly fumbles against the New York Giants and this weekend will be time to avenge that slip-up.

Watch: Nike = Genius

Just when I thought Tiger Woods' commercials couldn't get any better, Nike proved me wrong. Enter in Heir Apparent.

NFL Divisional Round Forecast

Last week’s wildcard playoff prophecy was on the money; let’s see how I do this week in predicting the scores.

Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos

Ravens- 17 Broncos- 30

Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers

Packers- 27 49ers- 33

Seattle Seahawks vs Atlanta Falcons

Seahawks- 21 Falcons- 31

Houston Texans vs New England Patriots

Texans- 20 Patriots- 31

TBT: My name is Willie

In light of me seeing Django Unchained this week, I thought it would only be right for me to feature one of the greatest music videos of all-time. Well, not really, but I still find this video to be extremely hilarious. I do on the other hand think that Any Given Sunday was a great movie. So with no further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the 1999 Jamie Foxx.

NFL Wildcard Forecast

My prognostication for this playoff weekend:

Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans

My pick: Texans

And so they meet again. The Texans bashed the Bengals 31-10 in last year’s wild-card game, and I expect Houston to come out on top again in the second outing.

Despite being a 3-seed, the Texans are probably the least dangerous playoff team due to their recent flounders. How could a 12-4 team not be feared heading into the postseason? The answer is simple. They’ve lost the last three of their four games and their Week 6 collapse (42-24) against Green Bay Packers has given them the label of pretenders. Some fans in Texas may even have doubts heading into this one, but stay calm true-Texans, I still believe you’re a threat.

The moment you undermine an opponent is when they’re most volatile. The Texans went from a potential No. 1 seed to completely missing out on a first-round bye all together. This nugget can’t sit well with them and I expect Arian Foster along with Matt Schaub to have a big weekend and usher them past the Bengals. Outside of a New York Giants victory, Cincy's resume appears to be mediocre. My uncle always told me to be careful of the teams that have something to prove, and that statement perfectly illustrates the Texans. They have been attempting to prove themselves this entire year, and Saturday’s contest will be their chance to send a message.

Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers

My pick: Packers

Speaking of rematches, we have another case of déjà vu in the NFC North. Last week’s game was special; the whole world was excited to watch the Adrian Peterson chase for the single-season rushing record, but in the end, it's last week's news. Key words, last week.

Peterson has scorched the Packers-D for nearly 200-rushing yards (199 last week) in both regular season outings, but I don’t see Peterson’s efforts resulting in a win in this one. This week has to be a team effort, not an "All Day" show.

Aaron Rodgers has quietly had another phenomenal year. If not for the freak comebacks by Peterson and Peyton Manning, Rodgers would be on more MVP radars. The Packers offense can erupt for 40 at any point, and I don’t see the Vikings being able to keep up with the gunslinger and his potent offense. If the Minnesota wants to upset Green Bay at home, the deciding factor will be Christian Ponder. I still view Ponder as an inept quarterback, and this reason alone sways my vote over to the 2011 Super Bowl champs. 

Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens

My pick: Ravens

This game was probably the most difficult to decide on, but I ultimately have to give the edge to Baltimore. This is where the rookie sensation’s train ceases. The Colts avidity this year has been unparalleled in large thanks to Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians and Andrew Luck, but I see the more seasoned unit winning this match-up.

You can’t say enough about how Luck has engineered this team back from a tumultuous 2-14 season last year. Far from a lucky season, but there are a few red flags that may stump Luck in his playoff debut. The first being the interception bug. Luck has thrown 18 picks this year, and the last team you want to commit turnovers against is Baltimore. They feed off of TOs, and it usually results in points on the scoreboard. And the second hiccup that Luck actually has less control over is pressure in the backfield. Luck’s rookie-record 4,374 yards came with a price as he took 41 sacks this season. These two trends will not be the formula for a first-round victory.

Despite the Ravens-D taking a few steps back over the few years, they’re still a tantalizing force. And I'm certain Ray Lewis' retirement announcement will give them a much needed emotional lift. Furthermore, despite his skepticism, I’m going to give Joe Flacco the benefit of the doubt against the Colts. Stay true to the run, and hit them with play action here and there. Run that offensive gameplan and there should be no worries.

P.S. Baltimore was my pre-season Super Bowl pick. San Francisco was my NFC choice. 

Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Redskins

My pick: Seahawks

RGIII vs Russell Wilson. Alfred Morris vs Marshawn Lynch. Two of the hottest teams in the NFL duking it out. Can this game get any better?

Wilson has for the majority of the season has meandered in the shadow in Luck and Griffin, but Sunday will be his day to shine. And with his stout defense by his side, I expect him to leave FedEx field with a win. Although Griffin has impressively only thrown for five interceptions, I expect Seattle pluck a couple of his feathers. The Seahawks led the NFL in fewest points allowed this season and are constantly blitzing. Griffin for the majority of this season has seemed unflappable, but he’s never faced a threat similar to Seattle. And without two healthy knees, Seattle has a bit of advantage on him.

The positive note for the Redskins is that they’re 9-1 in games in which Pierre Garcon played, but Griffin will need more than just him to pull out a victory. The Redskins receivers have dropped a ridiculous amount of passes this year. Sunday will not be the afternoon to have hands like feet.