How Do You Arrive At Your Super Bowl XLII Prediction

by Jason Jones

Ask yourself one question…What percentage of people across the country are rooting for the Patriots and how many are rooting for the Giants? The national media has spun this Super Bowl even harder than any other in recent memory. I guess that is justified, since we are about to witness history one way or another. They would have you believe that the “rooting breakdown” is barely 55/45 in favor of the Patriots. I clearly think it really is more like 70/30 in favor of the Patriots. The following is courtesy of ESPN.com. This is a collection of people who have given their picks for the Super Bowl. I have supplied all 129 of them with score and team. This list includes ESPN employees as well as celebrities that span sports, acting, music, etc. If that was not enough, I have done some basic adding and came up with what the average score would be according to people who honestly think the Giants will win. The average score by people who believe the Patriots will win. And, yes, the average score of all 129 people included. Enjoy, I’m not very good at math, so this was a son of a bitch.

ESPN STAFF and Selected Celebrities

1. Jeffri Chadiha: 24-23 Giants
2. John Clayton: 38-24 Patriots
3. Matt Mosley: 31-17 Patriots
4. Len Pasquarelli: 31-20 Patriots
5. Mike Sando: 30-20 Patriots
6. John Banks: 42-21 Patriots
7. Mike McAllister: 34-24 Patriots
8. Scott Symmes: 27-24 Giants
9. Sheldon Spencer: 27-23 Giants
10. Jeremy Green: 27-23 Patriots
11. Keith Kidd: 27-20 Patriots
12. Matt Williamson: 33-20 Patriots
13. Ken Moll: 28-17 Patriots
14. Doug Kretz: 31-17 Patriots
15. Marwan Maalouf: 28-27 Patriots
16. Gary Horton: 31-20 Patriots
17. Bill Simmons: 42-17 Patriots
18. Greg Garber: 38-21 Patriots
19. Gregg Easterbrook: 20-19 Giants
20. Jemele Hill: 38-31 Patriots
21. Wright Thompson: 35-3 Giants
22. Paul Newman (actor) Tie ---------
23. Joanne Woodward (actor) 28-14 Patriots
24. Jack Nicklaus (golfer) N/A Patriots
25. Arnold Palmer (golfer) 28-21 Giants
26. Gen. Mike Hayden (Dir CIA) 28-24 Giants
27. Martina McBride (singer) 31-27 Patriots
28. Placido Domingo (singer) 24-21 Giants
29. Serena Williams (tennis) N/A Giants
30. Don Rickles (comedy) 21-12 Patriots
31. Phyllis Diller (comedienne) 30-10 Patriots
32. Lebron James (cle cavaliers) 34-14 Patriots
33. Dwayne Wade (mia heat) 27-17 Patriots
34. Shaquille O’Neal (mia heat) 21-20 Giants
35. Keith Olbermann (msnbc) 27-21 Giants
36. Bill O’Reilly (fox) 31-30 Giants
37. Michael Phelps (swimmer) 24-17 Patriots
38. Mitt Romney (anti-Christ) 28-14 Patriots
39. Michael Bloomberg (Mayor) 31-28 Giants
40. Elisabeth Shue (actress) 31-20 Patriots
41. Mamie Van Doren (sex icon) 28-7 Patriots
42. Jerry Mathers (leave it to beaver) 30-27 Patriots
43. Bobby Thompson (baseball Giant) 28-21 Patriots
44. Ralph Branca (Brooklyn Dodger) 34-31 Giants
45. Chuck Yeager (pilot) 28-17 Patriots
46. Mickey Rooney (actor) N/A Patriots
47. Yogi Berra (NY Yankee) N/A Giants
48. Steven Van Zandt (sopranos) 20-14 Giants
49. Wayne Newton (singer) 35-30 Patriots
50. Dave Grohl (foo fighters) 24-21 Patriots
51. Dana Delany (actress) 28-21 Patriots
52. Mark Cuban (owner Mavericks) 28-16 Giants
53. Dr. Joyce Brothers (psychologist) 17-10 Giants
54. Andy Williams (singer) 21-7 Patriots
55. Barry Williams (brady bunch) 42-27 Patriots
56. Christopher Knight (brady bunch) 31-20 Patriots
57. Shirley Jones (partridge family) 34-20 Patriots
58. Adam West (original batman) 24-14 Patriots
59. Dawn Wells (gilligan’s island) 28-17 Patriots
60. Russell Johnson (gilligan’s island) 21-20 Giants
61. Haley Joel Osmond (sixth sense) 34-20 Patriots
62. Dick Vitale (espn coll basketball) 28-24 Giants
63. Dennis Miller (comedian/radio host) 19-0 Patriots
64. Dennis Farina (actor) 27-24 Giants
65. Randy Jackson (American idol) 31-24 Patriots
66. Tobin Bell (Jigsaw from “Saw”) 17-14 Patriots
67. Pam Shriver (tennis broadcaster) 24-13 Patriots
68. Neal McDonough (actor) 38-14 Patriots
69. Robert Patrick (actor) 35-17 Patriots
70. Stacy Keibler (wwe/actress) 32-17 Patriots
71. Jess L. Martin (actor) 25-21 Giants
72. Gordon Clapp (actor) 41-10 Patriots
73. Dr. Pat Robertson (reverend) 20-14 Giants
74. Dr. James Dobson (reverend) 34-24 Patriots
75. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) N/A Patriots
76. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) N/A Giants
77. Scott Turow (author) 21-17 Giants
78. David Wright (N.Y. Mets 3B) 27-24 Giants
79. Omar Epps (actor) 35-24 Patriots
80. Marisol Nichols (actress) 35-21 Patriots
81. Susan Anton (singer/actress) 31-28 Patriots
82. Dierks Bentley (singer) 27-24 Giants
83. Kirsten Haglund (miss America) 31-20 Patriots
84. Rachel Smith (miss USA) 29-28 Giants
85. Vince Neil (singer/Motley Crue) 49-14 Patriots
86. Tony Sirico (actor/sopranos) 35-31 Giants
87. Christopher Gorham (actor) 27-17 Patriots
88. Dominic Chianese (actor/sopranos) 24-21 Giants
89. Jon Tenney (actor) 27-24 Giants
90. John Slattery (actor) 41-28 Patriots
91. James Denton (actor) 23-20 Giants
92. Dick Van Patten (founder NBPF) 35-14 Patriots
93. Ed Asner (actor) 7-3 Giants
94. Eva Marie Saint (actress) 38-35 Giants
95. Marlee Matlin (actress) N/A Giants
96. Shelley Berman (actor/comedian) 28-21 Patriots
97. Dionne Warwick (singer) 27-17 Giants
98. Bob Weir (musician) 31-24 Patriots
99. Joan Jett (singer) 35-21 Giants

100. Tom Scholz (boston) 28-21 Patriots

101. Rodney Atkins (singer) 42-17 Patriots

102. Dolph Lundgren (actor) 21-13 Giants

103. Carl Weathers (actor) 31-17 Patriots

104. Leroy Neiman (artist) 31-21 Patriots

105. John Cena (wwe wrestler) 34-14 Patriots

106. Maria Menounos (tv host) 30-27 Patriots

107. Julia Mancuso (skier) 31-28 Patriots

108. Kerry Walsh (volleyball medalist) 35-27 Patriots

109. Jeremy Wariner (track medalist) 24-17 Patriots

110. Mike Eruzione (1980 US hockey) 38-21 Patriots

111. Karch Kiraly (volleyball medalist) 28-17 Patriots

112. Tyson Gay (track star) 27-14 Patriots

113. Sanya Richards (track star) 21-17 Giants

114. Clint Bowyer (NASCAR) 45-24 Patriots

115. Matt Kenseth (NASCAR) 24-21 Giants

116. Jeff Burton (NASCAR) 34-13 Patriots

117. Ted Giannoulas (SD Chicken) 34-26 Patriots

118. Carrot Top (comedian) 27-23 Patriots

119. Scott Adams (dilbert) 37-21 Giants

120. Judy Tentuta (comedienne) 28-21 Patriots

121. Penn Jillette (penn and teller) N/A Patriots

122. Sean Salisbury (ESPN) N/A Patriots

123. Merril Hoge (ESPN) N/A Giants

124. Ron Jaworski (ESPN) N/A Patriots

125. Mark Schlereth (ESPN) N/A Patriots

126. Mike Golic (ESPN) N/A Patriots

127. Mike Ditka (ESPN) N/A Giants

128. Keyshawn Johnson (ESPN) N/A Patriots

129. Emmitt Smith (ESPN) N/A Patriots

ESPN SportsNation Poll (as of Feb 1) – 492,651 total votes

Patriots will win-60.7%

Giants will win-39.3%

Total Score and Average Score of those taking the Giants

939-734 (in favor of the Giants)

26.08-20.38 (giving the Giants a +5.7 point margin of victory)

Total Score and Average Score of those taking the Patriots

2293-1390 (in favor of the Patriots)

31.41-19.04 (giving the Patriots a +12.4 point margin of victory)

Total Score of All Participants (129-not including the D-Bags who are too lame to actually pick a winner and chose to go with a tie in a non-tie era).

3232-2124 (in favor of the Patriots)

29.65-19.48 (giving the Patriots a +10.17 margin of victory)

If you do not have a rooting interest and might have been wondering how to make a pick without getting to completely immersed into it, this may be the best way to go. In a manner of speaking, this is the “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-ask the audience” analogy. That is of course, if 129 of the ESPN employees and a gamut of celebrities were an audience at your disposal. If that is the case, then maybe your pick should be…

PATRIOTS, 30-19 (by way of rounding up or down).

Expansion and player supply in sports

By Rick Morris

In a recent conversation with FDH analyst Jon Adams, we spoke of the likelihood that the NFL would expand in the coming years rather than relocating an existing team to meet their goal of placing a franchise back in Los Angeles. I mentioned that I could see this happening in tandem with an expansion of the schedule, as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seems to have successfully floated the trial balloon of a 17th game played overseas by every team. Jon rightfully expressed displeasure at the notion of a move to 34 teams accompanying a 17-week schedule, since we can already see how the league's talent base was watered down noticeably by expansion in 1999 and 2002.

Goodell, a sharp operator, is probably pushing the league's global presence at least in part because the league does not have a strong enough global presence long-term to staff the number of teams they want to have. But they are putting the cart before the horse a bit if they intend to expand the league also in the next decade.

Expansion in other sports was initially accompanied by cries that it had come too soon and too dramatically -- and would later trigger calls for contraction. But as the talent pool caught up to the number of jobs available, equilibrium returned in these situations.

In baseball, the 1960s triggered a wave of expansion that continued into 1977, then resumed in 1993 and 1998. While it used to be fashionable to speak of how the game had become watered down, this talking point has become muted, even in terms of pitching. The international expansion of the game has brought players from all corners of Latin America, the Pacific Rim and even a few other corners of the world. Besides, baseball historians from groups such as SABR have disabused thinking people of the notion that players such as Babe Ruth had it harder because they faced only a handful of teams and therefore, the "best of the best on a daily basis." None of those teams included players of color and as such, the greatest players in the world were subdivided into three groups that played against only themselves: the American League, the National League and the Negro Leagues (except for the AL and NL in the All-Star Game and the World Series). But the overall talent level of top players wasn't much different back then if we think beyond Major League Baseball and take the top Negro League teams into consideration. As such, any advantages Babe Ruth may have had in not having to face 13 other AL pitching staffs were negated by not having to face Negro League hurlers.

The winter sports of basketball and hockey likewise faced troubling questions when they expanded rapidly from the late 1980s onward. Both clearly moved far beyond the pool of worthy talent available when they placed franchises far and wide and the NHL in particular faced much criticism for their "Sunbelt Strategy" of putting down roots in sunny markets completely unaccustomed to their product. But those complaints have quieted in recent years, as both have benefited from a global talent pool now available to them. Even traditional hockey fans in Canada inclined to believe that the game was never better and tighter than it was when there were only half as many teams must admit that the lack of players available back then from Iron Curtain countries worked against the advancement of the sport. And in the NBA, the international players have led the charge back towards fundamentals and away from the disturbing drift towards "streetball" and in so doing, have pushed it in the right direction. Proving that a blind squirrel really does find an acorn now and again, ESPN columnist and mighty self-parody Bill Simmons opines this week that the NBA talent level is at its highest point since the early 1990s -- and he's right.

Now, the NFL truly is the biggest and the baddest of the American sports leagues. It seems truly bulletproof in terms of continued viability at this level. But Goodell should ponder the lessons of other sports before deciding to bump the league up to 34 teams. Continued overseas games, while aggravating to many jingoistic, chest-thumping, Neanderthal football fans, are a necessary evil in terms of developing a global talent base. The 17th game on the schedule may prove unavoidable with this being the case. Because football takes such a back seat to soccer internationally (inexplicably, I might add!), the product must be exposed at a micro level to people all over the world so that the league can cultivate young fans who aspire to play on Sundays. While the NHL, NBA and MLB trail the NFL in popularity and clout, at least they can truthfully state that their leagues are fully stocked with players who deserve to be there, thanks to the integration of top talent all over the world. The NFL won't be able to say the same, much less consider further expansion as a viable consideration, until they begin to feature talent from Asia, Europe, Africa and all areas of the world.

Bill Simmons, sad attention whore

By Rick Morris

In case anyone is still unaware of the deplorable depths to which ESPN Page 2's once-amusing Bill Simmons has plummeted, his hacky trail of "look Ma, I'm going to get some attention by saying something stupid" has wound down to this pile of excrement: Lebron and the Cavs won't even make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. Really.

If you wish to amuse yourself with his continued idiocy, you can't do better than this wonderful parody, which is a "Sports Guy Mad Lib" of sorts. Have fun!