I would like to start off my piece by congratulating the Chicago Bears on a fantastic Super Bowl run.  They did not play to their full capability but I think all of the Bears, including Rex Grossman, deserves praise on a job well done this season.  I am certain that they can make more runs to the Super Bowl especially if Grossman can mentally be fine.

I really do not know how to start this off.  I gave you guys the full story a couple weeks ago about why I am a Colts fan.  I told you all about the "close but no cigar" moments.  The joy in the regular season that quickly turned to demise in the playoffs.  This game will not be a recap, it will mention some key aspects, but this will be from a homer.  Basically, this is just a "victory lap" so to speak.  You probably won't enjoy it and look back thinking, "why the hell did I just read that?" but it's part of the euphoria.

:15 remain on the game clock.  Justin Snow (long-snapper) casually strolls out to the line of scrimmage, Hunter Smith assumes the holding position and Adam Vinateiri lines up.  It is drizzling, nothing too insane, but Jim Nantz does mention the fact.  NFL fans worldwide hold their breath.  It's hard to believe after 59 minutes that it's going to come down to a 25-yard field goal.  Snow snaps it to Smith who cleanly puts the laces out and Vinateiri kicks it.......WIDE RIGHT!  I stand their delusionally as I see Tom Brady and Bill Belichick win another Super Bowl.   

Then I wake up.

That was the dream I had the night/morning before the Super Bowl 41 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears.  I had to convince myself for about 10 minutes that Brady/Belichick are home right now, the Bears are in the playoffs and Jim Nantz won't be announcing (though that came true). 

The day was pretty boring as I think I just spent time to burn it.  My nephew came over but that's nothing of significance.  Why did I bring that up anyway?

When Devin Hester returned the kick for a TD, I seriously didn't move.  I did think that it was at the beginning of the game and Manning would be on the field right away so there was the positive.  It starts to drizzle.  I look for Brady to make sure.  As Manning threw a pick to Chris Harris of all people, I called doomsday.  Fast-forward.

I'm jumping a lot here but after that, the day just changed for me.  The Colts weren't in the rythm that we are used to but it was almost like it was planned.  Addai in the flat, Harrison across the middle, Clark on a curl, Wayne on the deep-ball, Utecht existing.  I saw Jim Sorgi on the sideline by the way, he was like a kid in a candy store, hands in his pocket smiling and laughing; he's a bonafide beast.

After watching Prince covering the Foo Fighters (c'mon now) and then the boredom of FG drives.  I look up and Kelvin Hayden, a 2nd-round pick in the 2005 draft from the Illini shows his former WR skills and takes a Pick 6 to the house.  I nearly cried, in fact, I think a lonely tear did come down; I'm not sure.  Bob Sanders picks it off, Jones rushes it, everything just became a blur after that. 

This article was not good at all.  It was rushed, inaccurate at times and not well-written.  It was much like the season of 24 thus far.  But the feeling of euphoria will never leave me.  I just think that as a Colts fan, to see Jim Irsay, Dungy, Tarik Glenn, and Peyton Manning; holding up that trophy, I will never witness anything that special again.  Cliche?  Yes.  But this team wasn't the best but certainly will be remembered forever.

Comments Appreciated.

When I woke up this morning, I heard that Terrell Owens was taken to the hospital following an "adverse" reaction to pain medications he has taken.  It was 6:15 in the morning but I brushed it off as something minor and actually a small dose of karma.  I was thinking about the beatdown I was going to give my fantasy football opponent this week as both Shaun Alexander and possibly Owens would be out.  But then, I heard the rumors.

In a Philadelphia suburb, Owens is hated more than Osama bin Laden.  Basically he's referred to as "him" but with the move to the Cowboys, he's even more of an enemy as ever.  Then I heard about that the reaction may have been a failed attempt at suicide.  I don't like Owens as what he's perceived to be but this was something to be taken seriously.  Of course there were smirks of joy from Eagles fans but this actually made me feel rather uncomfortable for the rest of my day. 

Suicide happens all of the time and then people went on the rant as "Oh, how depressing his life must be, making all of that money and living in great mansions".  But you really have to wonder, how much abuse can one person take?  Owens is still a human being and while he's built like Hercules, he does indeed have emotions other than deserting his teammates.  I would say that a vast majority of even the most casual of NFL viewers consider him a jerk, a cancer, a loser and a horrible person.  Then you have to add the constant media speculation of a possible rift between Owens and Bill Parcells with every move he makes documented by the Cowboys front office.  Throw in the latest injury and the constant rehabilitation, you would have to wonder if we are witnessing a self-implosion? 

I will admit that now I have taken a huge sigh of relief seeing Owens doing some "light" practice work and talking to the media.  He did not stay long in the hospital long enough to be considered suicidal but there are other questions that remain unanswered.

Yes, I am not an Owens supporter or lobbyist.  But when you look at it all, he's just a human.

It was a typical summer's day in New Jersey and the weather was harsh due to the aftermath of Tropical Depression Ernesto when I went online.  But what made this day unusual to the typical outsider was that I was just finishing five hours on the computer for my fantasy sports teams.  I would go from my fantasy football teams, to my fantasy baseball teams to even the fantasy golf team; I knew I needed some help.  After all, how many 15-year olds waste their time inside when they should be outside?  Wait, just ignore that question completely. 

The NFL is a complex business, as we all know and their fans (including myself) are amongst the most passionate in American Sports.  But the evolution of fantasy football has taken passion to a whole new level.  How many Eagles fans have Terrell Owens on their fantasy football team?  How many Patriots fans have Peyton Manning or Marvin Harrison?  Though I'm geared towards winning all the time, I have to set up benchmarks.  I have never drafted a New England Patriot player in ANY of my leagues nor a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.  If I have to choose between Daniel Graham or Ben Utecht?  I go with the former Gopher WR who (keep track on this) just emerged as the #2 in Indy, overtaking Bryan Fletcher.  Another silent ground rule of mine is what if my fantasy team is running on the team that is opposing my favorite team?  Well in that scenario, I would have to bite the bullet and root against my fantasy team.  Also, always draft at least ONE player from your fantasy team (yes, even you SF fans) just to keep yourself sane.

I'm an addict on sports as I have mostly followed the NFL, MLB, NASCAR and NHL since I was around 3 years old but fantasy sports has improved my appreciation even more.  Anyone notice that Brooks Bollinger trade to Minnesota?  Yeah, that Brooks Bollinger, it's a shame when you closely follow the situation of a player of his caliber.  This is why I am ashamed of myself as I start getting paranoid and thinking "Tavaris Jackson is on my team in my keeper league?!?!?!?!?!?!" will the two-year deal given to Bollinger affect that in anyway?  Pathetic, isn't it?

This is the best part of most fantasy sports owners.  We know that we are in a sense, geeky or nerdy though we keep that to ourselves, and we know that we should probably spend time finding other hobbies.  But I've also slightly improved myself as a human being on the planet Earth.  I learn to feel more sympathetic towards people who get hurt during my HS baseball games.  I also have improved my knuckleball as I get more attentive to the tiniest details in my mechanics and have even learned to forgive people for about a wekk.

Well, all I have to say is that while fantasy sports is what we would call a "cool geek", it is still something that is fun and eats away time with your girlfriend's parents (believe me).

Comments, like always, Appreciated.

After a long wait, I've decided to keep up the "Honorable Mention List".  I have been busy with high school exams (you know how long they take) and doing mock drafts so I must keep going on.  Also, soon there will be new non-HM/Mock Draft articles, so stay tuned!

patmoran2006's Blog-One of the best and most underrated bloggers out there is patmoran2006.  I'd say he can be compared to James Morisette (in terms of grammar and information) and RayFitzgerald (great NFL Draft writings), if you get a chance check him out, he's get credentials.

GregMorris18's Blog-I recently came across this blog only a few days ago.  GregMorris usually writes bigger articles but they are always worth a stop and make you go "Hmmmm.....".

Sandy Bunkerman's Blog-I do mention a lot of funny blogs, time and time again, but one of the all-time greats was "Mel Kiper has Emergency Surgery" blog.  Pure funny stuff, hope you come back!

KP's Blog-Another underrated blog is KP's who made a recently-epic story about the Super Bowl.  Though he was wrong on the final score, KP still wrote way too much for only a tiny 3 comments.  Check it out!

The Good Word-Right now on the front page to the Blog, under NFL is a title called "Raider Nation:  Coaching Impressions", read it now and find out why BigSur is mentioned here.

Burgh's Buzzing Blog-Wanted to welcome one of the new bloggers over here, though you can't call him "Honorable Mention" if your first post can bring 27 comments and it is as well-written as "It's not raining in Seattle", then you deserve some "DAP".

DrCrab's Blog-Short, sweet and to the point is how you can describe this blog.  Particularly his Sean Taylor article, DrCrab's blog gets the point across even in a short amount of words.  He doesn't write epics, but they're just as good.

Ok, this concludes HML6 and I also want to say, if you haven't been mentioned, don't despair, I'm still finding many great blogs so Stay Tuned! 

Coming Up This Week (hopefully):
2-Round Mock Draft

MLB Season Outlook

NFL Offseason Article

Let's try some NASCAR, too!

After a small delay, the 5th part of my "Honorable Mention" List will be posted here.  Enjoy!

Welcome To The Binder-UltraMega, I did not forget about you, merely I was just waiting for you to come up with a Phillies article .  The Phillies Preview was a must-read for any Phillie fan out there and your opinions on what's on your mind is unmatched. 

The Arena-JustinWeaver, you were a great writer and honestly, your work was greatly underrated.  You chronicled the Packers extraordinarily well and your "Not My Scapegoat" article was by far, the best Packer article I have seen.

Experiment611's Blog-Experiment611, you were another great blogger who disappeared after the end of the contest.  You definitely went out with a #### in your "Playoff Theme Songs" post and hopefully, more are on the way!

The View From My Cube-Billy, glad to see you are still around.  You were another versatile poster who covered nearly every subject that has come to mind.  Heck, you went to Golf in one of your posts.  Pure priceless memories, great job.

Nasty Nate's Blog-NastyNate, you finally hit the big time!  I've read most of your topics and while I stongly disagree with the Marcus Vick post, you still raised legit points.  Great job and McCarthy won't help the Packers as much as Sherman did.

Let's Be Honest-Kia, you are the umpteenth person that should be writing frequently again.  Honestly, you put a boatload of work into your posts that you deserved 100 more posts than you recieved.

Doc Fantasy-Here's to TJ, a smart fantasy football player.  He constructed a bust post that is dated yet still deserves to be read.  Come on back and prove to the rest of Blogger Station about what you know.

I Needed a Day Job-Just based on the title of your blog alone, you deserve recognition.  Like Kia, you put a helluva lot of work into your blog to not much fanfare.  Good luck and keep on postin'.

Part 6 Coming Soon. 

Fellow Bloggers;

Early arabchickencurry told everyone he was 15 and pandemonium started.  Guys, in my first I mentioned that I'm 14 and people say that maybe I was snubbed.  Arab deserves props, he's a great writer and admitted a huge burden.  Socal, NorthSide, Chris, Josette, Sportsgurl, InTiki, Rlb, Rivjo, etc.... did deserve a spot but the judges had to have had their own reason to pick arab over other great writers.

Also, The_Doc, may have plagarized a post.  He denies it and I believe him, he listed sports nightmares and others happened to have the same opinion on it.  I read both articles and I will admit they are a lot of similiarties but if you dissect it more, you'll see they're as many differences too.

That is all, The next Honorable Mention List will be listed on Saturday.

Thanks.

The latest installment of the Honorable Mention List will be continued in this article and Norcalfella (thanks for the plugs!), I am thinking about making this one huge list.  But I can't include the explanations as it will take wayyyy too long.

Metswon's Blog-Metswon, you had one of the more durable and versatile blogs in this contest.  You went from Villanova Basketball to Youth League Sports.  Good job and props to you and unfortunately the Mets will beat the Phills this year........

WHEREBEAVER's Blog-WHEREBEAVER, you were by far one of the most enthusiastic bloggers on board.  But, your articles were always insightful and always was worth a read.  Especially, "Comment Vs. Content" your articles were outstanding.  Come back over here, though, we could use you back!

StaMar's Grizz Blog-Stacey Margarita, you were one of our better writers PERIOD.  Whether male or female, a case could be made for you being one of the best NBA blogs on here.  That being said, good luck to your Grizzlies and Pau Gasol has helped my fantasy team and basically carried my team to #4.

TropicalGoddess's Blog-TropicalGoddess, you have had a funny and informative (the plagiarism find) blog going down here.  The bobblehead blog (Saddam's especially) was hilarious and I couldn't imagine how dull the blogs would've been without you.

Bread and Circuses-Dudski, I originally thought that you were a finalist and was shocked to see you were left out.  Since the new year dawned, your blogs have been great and last year, I had to imagine the Steinbrenner Tapes to be one of the more underrated posts of all-time.

GerbilSportsNetwork's Blog-GerbilSports, your articles were hilarious and as a Colts fan, even I laughed at the Sports Nobel Prize award to Peyton.  Good job!

DanMcGowan's Blog-Dan, I just recently found your blog and feel somewhat guilty about finding it so late.  Though your Rose Bowl prediction was off, nonetheless, your articles were always worth a read.  Good job!

loilar's Blog-loilar, you seem to have disappeared but your posts are still worth a read.  Your last article, NFL Scheduling, was great and anyone who is a Philly fan is good in my book.  Come on back!

Opinions, Musings and The Overwhelming Consensus-TheSportsWriter, you put a lot of work into your posts and was from what I have viewed, one of the more popular blogs.  You are another blogger that should come back.

After a small delay, I will now continue, the Honorable Mention list.  Remember this is not the list and if you are not on here, don't sweat it. 

KcShaw's Blog-Highly opinionated and always had something on his mind.  When Kc talked about "Save Me a Seat", I have to admit, it was a solid post.  Glad you are still here!

cloudmark's Blog-Guys, if you get the chance to go "My Favorites" and look up cloudmark's.  Cloudmark had a great post entitled "Being a Sports Fan" and it is worth a read if you look insightful yet humorous posts.

jerrygiamis's Blog-I have to give something you went to Rutgers, some much-needed dap.  Jerry was a great writer but unfortunately on the 19th, stopped writing articles.  Hopefully, he'll throw some more out there!

Ray_Fitzgerald's Blog-I've met and enjoyed many Chicago's fans blogs and this one was no exception.  I did enjoy reading your "Chicago Bears Notebook" you just put up and was a perfect analysis of the team. 

The Revenge of Harold Miner-Haha, this was another very good blog yet was as funny as they came.  "To Those Who Aren't Funny" was honestly, one of the better posts I read during XMas break.

Thank You For Reading-James, I read your blog from the beginning but never replied until your "PlaysTagliabueDespises Alarm" in which I had a vision of that being an actual conversation between the two.

The Sports Section-rlb001, your greatest post had nothing to really do with sports.  But it was about the blogging contest and cliques.  Also, if Boris Diaw wasn't on my fantasy team, I would not know who he was.

Lee's Big Blog-To a somewhat underrated blog, you've had some great posts that deserved to be recognized.   I had to agree with you about the statement concerning Boise St., and how supposedly tough they are at home.  Great read.

Ok, guys, this is my shortest one as the Rose Bowl is coming on.  Sorry, if you are not on this, be patient, I will try the best I can to get you on here.

In my quest to list every blogger that may have been snubbed, Part 2 of "THE LIST" continues.

The Truth (Possibly)-noahpinto had to have been one of the better writers in this contest.  He mixed information and class very well and I hope he returns now and in time for the next "NGS".

Feature Presentation Blog-Gotta admit I loved the Sports Awards blog with Brian Billick calling Boller "tough".  Put a lot of work into his articles and his Bowl predicitions may have been a bit off and yes, JaMarcus is an awesome name.

IrishNut's Blog-This had to have been one of the funniest blogs in the contest.  Never disappointed, especially with the "I am a completely miserable Fox blogger".

Carnac's Magnificence-Carnac, you had a funny yet informative blog that deserved to move on.  You always were visiting someone else's blog which made you one of the better bloggers in the contest. 

Drum Beater-rivjo, your "Blog Fairy" post had me laughing and finally gave you the comments you deserved.  Heather Mitts is the only reason I watch soccer. 

sleeplessinseattle's blog-sleepless, you had a great blog going down and always got a helluva lot of comments.  Keep up the good work!

TravisDW's Blog-Found your blog pretty recently and wish I could've read it a bit more.  Now that I have the time, I will do just that.  Anyway, you had the funniest picture of the year with the #### riding the dog like a horse.  Funniest thing I saw that week.

thesportsgurl's blog-"You know what really grinds my gears?".  Gotta love someone who inserts Family Guy into their blog, simple genius.  Best Gear-Grinder was Part Duex.  Give us a Part Cuatro.

The_Dan's Blog-Another classy blogger who handled missing the Sweet 16 pretty well ;)  It was a good gesture, bringing out the Boxing Day Tragedy, and you sadly, hit the nail on the head with that one.

Bitter Ducks Guy-druben, funny stuff, funny stuff.  Especially with the Alex Smith has girly hands post, pure humor.  Haven't seen you in a bit, hope you can come back soon.

It's Gotta Be The Shoes-Another blog I had the honor of reading late into the contest, was BooJ's.  Your Craig Biggio article shined your writing ability and insight.  Hope to see you aboard!

Part 3 will be coming soon!

http://jandpsports.proboards51.com I just had to plug my site ONE MORE TIME!  Remember I am looking for a part-time writer for FREE!

Ok, guys and gals, I had an idea and that is to create a mega-honorable mention list for those who did not advance to the finals.  If you are not on this one, don't despair, I'll try to get as many people as possible.

The Brent Report-GBrent, you did a great job on your blog.  You were one of my daily commenters and I really enjoyed the MNF article.  I thought you would make it but I hope you can stay aboard, here.

TiffanyMarie-Alright, Tiffany, you came underfire here for being the popular and the hot chick.  But as the contest wore on, your writing abilities started to shine.  Good Luck with the modeling career and your brother's b-ball career.

Bold1 Liners-jbold1, when I first joined here, you were the first blog I ever read.  From the start you were one of the better and humorous writers on here.  Somehow, you didn't make it but keep on trying, someone will notice you.

NorthSideFan's Blog-NorthSideFan, you were one of my loyal readers and I always got the chance to read what was on your mind.  Humorous yet informative, your articles always shined and you always had something on your mind.  Keep it up!

DaBears85's Blog-Chris79, you kind of disappeared after your "Coaches Battle" blog but when you came back, your creativity showed.  From Bareback Mountain to Mainstream Curling, your last post was one of the funniest on here.  Hope you can come back.

A Little Bit of NY Bias...-InTikiITrust, a New Yorker who always had an informative topic on his mind.  A great fan and a greater writer, you had a great idea with the fantasy keeper league idea.  Great job on here.

The Sports Intellectual's Blog-TheSportsIntellectual, your title fitted your personality.  You were highly informative and I can't imagine how you were left off the "Sweet 16".  I always had the opportunity to read your blog and it was a job well done!

SoCalSportsFan's Blog-SoCalSportsFan, you had a great blog here and another possible snub was you.  You definitely deserved more credit and I hope your site moves on to greater pastures.  I know you will do a great job and can I link your site on mine?

motorcitymadman's Blog-motorcitymadman, you were one of my first favorites on here and you never disappointed.  Your showed humor in your last article on why you deserved to move on and I understood your feelings. 

josettedupres's Blog-Another silent but informative blog that deserved many more readers.  I first saw your Chicago Bears draft blog and I know how you Chicago fans feel, partly.  Hope you can come back.

All Mashed Up-A popular blog that recieved fame from the "1998 Draft Class Revisited" which I enjoyed greatly.  You had me laughing at the Fred McGriff=Tom Emanski Video Commerical and I hope you will be back.

PeytonAllen's Blog-PeytonAllen, as a Phillies fan, I know personally how good Jeff Francouer is.  That being said, you have one of the best stories on here with the "I Used To Be Jeff Francouer" blog.  Keep it up and hopefully someone will see it.

This is short but I need to do some research and visit more blogs.  If you weren't on here, don't worry, you will be on one of the lists. 

We'll all knew the NGS judges had a daunting task and while I'm not joyful about not being a finalist; I am proud of my fellow bloggers:

While this is my shortest blog, it probably won't be my last but I have to now concentrate on my site now. 

Good Luck, All!

Since I was young, all I wanted to do was to be a part of the thing I loved the most, and that's sports.  At the age of 3, I could tell you who was the Cleveland Browns backup QB, who the punt returner was for the Raiders and who won the Heisman Trophy last year.  Instead of watching cartoons, I watched SportsCenter and still remember the old SportsCenter set.  I loved baseball and football but as I got older, hockey became a fixture in my life and so did fantasy football.

Then 2 or so weeks ago, I checked my email like I do everyday, and saw a promotional e-mail from FoxSports.  The title was "Become America's Next Great Sportswriter" and as I hurried to make an account, my dreams came true.  Yes, I have my own site as well as a weekly writing assignment for ColtsNews.Com but this was my best shot at realizing my goal, to be in sports in any capacity.  True, I play baseball but how many people do that in the world and not play professionally?  Not many and while I still play baseball in high school, I now write about it.  I have learned one thing by starting a sports site, that you can get people to come but it's hard as heck for them to stay.

My first article was a short one about Scottie Vines, and it was made to test out what the fans were interested in me.  But boy was I blown away reading some of jerrygiamis, bold1, GBrent, socalsportsfan, the_doc's and detpack's and I knew that my goal may be even more of a longshot than I thought it would be.  Yes, I had a popular article about Reggie Bush and Houston but after that, the most replies I have recieved was 5. 

All in all, whether I am part of the Sweet 16 or not, I have enjoyed my time here.  Maybe I will make it, maybe I won't and will look elsewhere for a shot but hey, it was for the love of the game and I certainly loved it.  I wish those who are fortunate enough to make it, and those who are not, keep on trying.  I know I will and the greatest goal for me was having people read my opinions instead of keeping them boxed up.

Good Luck!