Tom Brady and Peyton Manning: Too Old To Win Another Super Bowl? July 15, 2010

Are Manning and Brady Too Old To Win Another Super Bowl?

Stallworth's Big Catch in the 1980 Superbowl Landed Him on the Cover of Sports Illustrated

On this Date in History:  When I was a kid, I hated the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The sole reason was that they knocked the Raiders out of the playoffs with the lucky “immaculate reception.”  Then they got so good and always kept the Houston Oilers out of the Super Bowl.  While I didn’t like the team, I secretly really admired and liked the players.  I loved Lynn Swann when he was at USC.  I never really liked Penn State after the Nittany Lions embarrassed the Texas Longhorns in the 1972 Cotton Bowl.  The star in the 30-6 victory was running back Lydell Mitchell but Franco Harris made some big runs  for Joe Paterno so I didn’t like Franco forever.   Vietnam Veteran Rocky Bleier  and Steeler’s running back was cool but I didn’t want to admit it.  And then there was John Stallworth.  I didn’t like him because it seemed the Steelers just got better each year with more good players.  When he joined the Steelers in the 74-75 season, they were already on the rise yet, somehow they got another good receiver.  John Stallworth was born on this date in 1952 and he went on to be elected to the National Football League Hall of Fame in 2002.  In a Superbowl that I thought was a great game that seems to get overlooked, on January 20, 1980 he caught a 73 yard touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that sealed the fate of the underdog but competitive Los Angeles Rams.   John Stallworth went on to a life off the field that is every bit as successful as it was on the field as he now heads up Genesis II, a firm that devotes itself to philanthropic efforts.

Terry Bradshaw Was Very Tough. Click For Video of October 10, 1975 Cheap Shot Sack by Joe "Turkey" Jones That Literally Could Have Killed Bradshaw, who came back to win two more Superbowls in '79 and '80

Now, Terry Bradshaw was the starting and winning quarterback of the Steelers in the 1980 Superbowl and was on tough son-of-a-gun.  I hated him because he was the Steelers quarterback but he was damn good and, even as a Hall of Famer, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.  He survived what could have been a fatal sack by Joe ”Turkey” Jones in 1976 to come back and win his 3rd and 4th championships.  If you are too young to remember, I encourage you to click on the photo to the left for some video.  The win in 1980  was Bradshaw’s fourth championship at the age of 32.  I heard a radio show today that was questioning whether or not Tom Brady at 33 was too old to win another Superbowl.  They didn’t really talk about Peyton Manning but you have to put him in the same category because he’s a year older than Brady.  When you look at past history, a kneejerk reaction might be that the odds are against him.  But, a close examination may result in a different conclusion.   Its certainly not impossible and every quarterback is different, though Brady has suffered a serious injury in his career.  In the most recent Superbowl, winning quarterback Drew Brees was 31 years old while Peyton Manning was just shy of his 34th birthday.  Manning had won the big one a few years before at age 30.   Thirteen of the 44 winning quarterbacks in Superbowl history have been 33 years of age or older.  That would suggest that Brady has a little less than a 1 in 3 chance.  However, 14 who were 33 or older ended up on the short end.

John Unitas Played In an Era When Quarterbacks Were Not Protected By The Rules Yet Survived Long Enough to Win a Superbowl at age 37

Of 88 starting NFL quarterbacks in the Superbowl, 62 have been younger than 33 years old.  So, it seems that getting there at age 33 is more difficult than winning it once you get there.  When you look at it even deeper, you find that of the 13 older quarterbacks to have been victorious, Bart Starr, Len Dawson and John Unitas represent four of the veteran champions as they won 4 of the first 5 Superbowls.  So, from 1972 on, we’re down to nine thirty-33 or better quarterbacks to wear the Superbowl ring.  The final 9 included some multiple winners.  John Elway won twice at at 37 and 38.  Jim Plunkett was 33 the first time around and 36 when he captured his second Superbowl title.  Roger Staubach, Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Steve Young and Brad Johnson are the other winners who were at least 33 years old.   So there are just 10 men who have won the big prize as a starting quarterback when they were older than 32. 

Ben Roethlisberger is the Youngest Quarterback to Win the Superbowl

Now, it may appear on the surface that it’s more improbable to win a Superbowl with a young quarterback and certainly a rookie.  But the average winning age of a quarterback in the Superbowl is 29.95 years while the average age of the quarterback for the losing side is 30.   The youngest quarterback to win a Superbowl was Ben Roethlisberger who was just 23.  The next youngest….Tom Brady at 24.  But, 15 of the 44 Superbowl winners have been under the age of 28.  To be sure, the total is limited to a fewer number of exceptional young quarterbacks when you consider that Roethlisberger, Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw had all won two Superbowls before their 28th birthday.  And…oh by the way…Tom Brady had won 3 Superbowls before the ripe old age of 28.  Nevertheless, the trend seems to be younger because 9 out of the last 10 Superbowls have been won by a quarterback under 33 years old, including the last 7 in a row.   And, in those last 10 years, only 3 winners have been 30 or older.  

George Blanda Was Paid $600 For First Year in the NFL in 1949; He was still tossing touchdowns against players less than half his age in the 1970's.

 The recent trend seems to say that youth is being served in the NFL.  But, the NFL has never had a young quarterback win as much as Tom Brady.  Also, it seems that guys in the early days of the Superbowl like Unitas and Starr and Earl Morrall seemed to fit the “old man” moniker that  they gained in their mid to late 30′s.   Today’s 30 something quarterbacks seem more youthful than their predecessors.  While age may be working against veterans like Bret Favre who last won a Superbowl in 1997, I think that thinking that talented individuals like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning (who are well into their 30′s) have every bit of an opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.  Brady has been injured seriously once but he and Manning both tend to avoid big hits.  Kurt Warner was 38 when he retired and he could still bring it.  Warren Moon was still chucking the most beautiful, tightest spirals the league has ever seen at 44 and Elway went out as a champion and fastball chucker at age 38.  Athletes are individuals and their individual circumstance has more to do with their success later in their careers than simply a calendar.  George Blanda was an NFL quarterback in the 1940′s, 1950′s, 1960′s and 1970′s.  His first year he even played linebacker for the Bears as well as quarterback and placekicker.  Blanda was still coming off the bench to bail out the Raiders in the mid-70′s with his arm and kicking field goals until they finally ran him off after his 48th birthday and after 26 seasons!  Tom Brady is a long way from reaching the elderly status of “Old Man Blanda” and both he and Peyton Manning have much left in the tank.

Here is a list of Superbowl starting Quarterbacks:

I – 1/15/67
Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers – Alabama (*33)
Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs – Purdue (31)

II – 1/14/68
Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers – Alabama (34)
Daryle Lamonica, Oakland Raiders – Notre Dame (26)

III – 1/12/69
Joe Namath, New York Jets – Alabama (25)
Earl Morrall, Baltimore Colts – Michigan State (34)

IV – 1/11/70
Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs – Purdue (34)
Joe Kapp, Minnesota Vikings – California (31)

V – 1/17/71
Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts – Louisville (37)
Craig Morton, Dallas Cowboys – California (27)

VI – 1/16/72
Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys – Navy (29)
Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins – Purdue (26)

VII – 1/14/73
Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins – Purdue (27)
Bill Kilmer, Washington Redskins – UCLA (33)

VIII – 1/13/74
Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins – Purdue (28)
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings – Georgia (33)

IX – 1/12/75
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers – Louisiana Tech (26)
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings – Georgia (34)

X – 1/18/76
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers – Louisiana Tech (27)
Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys – Navy (33)

XI – 1/9/77
Ken Stabler, Oakland Raiders – Alabama (31)
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings – Georgia (36)

XII – 1/15/78
Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys – Navy (35)
Craig Morton, Denver Broncos – California (34)

XIII – 1/21/79
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers – Louisiana Tech (30)
Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys – Navy (36)

XIV – 1/20/80
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers – Louisiana Tech (31)
Vince Ferragamo, Los Angeles Rams – California, Nebraska (25)

XV – 1/25/81
Jim Plunkett, Oakland Raiders – Stanford (33)
Ron Jaworski, Philadelphia Eagles – Youngstown State (29)

XVI – 1/24/82
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – Notre Dame (25)
Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals – Augustana (IL) (32)

XVII – 1/30/83
Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins – Notre Dame (33)
David Woodley, Miami Dolphins – Louisiana State (24)

XVIII – 1/22/84
Jim Plunkett, Los Angeles Raiders – Stanford (36)
Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins – Notre Dame (34)

XIX – 1/20/85
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – Notre Dame (28)
Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins – Pittsburgh (23)

XX – 1/26/86
Jim McMahon, Chicago Bears – BYU (26)
Tony Eason, New England Patriots – Illinois (26)

XXI – 1/25/87
Phil Simms, New York Giants – Morehead State (32)
John Elway, Denver Broncos – Stanford (26)

XXII – 1/31/88
Doug Williams, Washington Redskins – Grambling (32)
John Elway, Denver Broncos – Stanford (27)

XXIII – 1/22/89
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – Notre Dame (32)
Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati Bengals – Maryland (27)

XXIV – 1/28/90
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – Notre Dame (33)
John Elway, Denver Broncos – Stanford (29)

XXV – 1/27/91
Jeff Hostetler, New York Giants – West Virginia (29)
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills – Miami (FL) (30)

XXVI – 1/26/92
Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins – Washington State (30)
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills – Miami (FL) (31)

XXVII – 1/31/93
Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys – Oklahoma, UCLA (26)
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills – Miami (FL) (32)

XXVIII – 1/30/94
Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys – Oklahoma, UCLA (27)
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills – Miami (FL) (33)

XXIX – 1/29/95
Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers – BYU (33)
Stan Humphries, San Diego Chargers – NE Louisiana (29)

XXX – 1/28/96
Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys – Oklahoma, UCLA (29)
Neil O’Donnell, Pittsburgh Steelers – Maryland (29)

XXXI – 1/26/97
Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers – Southern Mississippi (27)
Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots – Washington State (24)

XXXII – 1/25/98
John Elway, Denver Broncos – Stanford (37)
Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers – Southern Mississippi (28)

XXXIII – 1/31/99
John Elway, Denver Broncos – Stanford (38)
Chris Chandler, Atlanta Falcons – Washington (33)

XXXIV – 1/30/00
Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams – Northern Iowa (28)
Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans – Alcorn State (26)

XXXV – 1/28/01
Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens – Fresno State (28)
Kerry Collins, New York Giants – Penn State (28)

XXXVI – 2/3/02
Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Michigan (24)
Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams – Northern Iowa (30)

XXXVII – 1/26/03
Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Florida State (34)
Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders – Delaware (37)

XXXVIII – 2/1/04
Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Michigan (26)
Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers – Louisiana-Lafayette (29)

XXXVIX – 2/6/05
Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Michigan (27)
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia – Syracuse (28)

XL – 2/5/06
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – Miami (OH) (23)
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle – Boston College (30)

XLI – 2/4/07
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – Tennessee (30)
Rex Grossman, Chicago Bears – Florida (26)

XLII – 2/3/08
Eli Manning, New York Giants – Ole Miss (27)
Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Michigan (30)

XLIII – 2/7/09
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – (26)
Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals – (37)

XLIV – 2/7/09
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints - (31)
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts - (33)

 Weather Bottom Line:  It’s going to be perhaps the hottest day of the year.  Humidity will be relatively high for having afternoon highs in the upper 90′s.  I”m from Houston and grew up on the Gulf Coast and lived there much of my life.  I often scoff at some of the whining we get around here when its humid.  But this time, it’s gonna be tough even for those of who are used to it.  While we’ll get a break with a front that will bring rain and t’storm chances Thurday night into the weekend, I suspect that we may be heading into another extended period of hot and humid conditions.  This is certainly not the same as last year when we had zero 90 degree days in July for the first time in history.  Maybe this is Global Warming’s Revenge.  Be careful and keep an eye on the elderly and others who may have difficulty.  Take care of the pets and livestock and for goodness sakes, don’t go and leave your child in the car…even for just a few minutes.

Finally The Saints Time February 4, 2010

Click Image for "Finally the Saints Time"

Fortunately For New Orleans, This Forecast Was Wrong

The Saints Go Marching to Miami:    If you have ever lived in New Orleans, then you know how devoted the Saints’ fans are.  Even when they were terrible, which was most of the time, the fans might have shown up in paper bags bearing the word “Aints”  but they showed up.  But, it’s not just New Orleans.  I’ve also lived in Lafayette and also Alexandria and wherever you go on a Sunday during football season, you will find people crowded around televisions in bars, hotels and even hospitals when the Saints are on.  But, I noticed that if the Saints weren’t on and it’s a different game, the audience in front of those tv’s are sparse or non-existant.  Even when there was a  great game being shown or a playoff game sans Saints, hardly a soul.  When I realized this, I understood that Louisiana fans are largely Saints fans and not so much general football fans.  On the radio, the Cowboys football network was on a few stations and some folks followed them, but certainly you never heard a peep about the nearby Houston Oilers which was the closet AFC market to the area.  No, in general, it was the Saints or nothing.

Click on the Dixie Beer Logo for "The Night We Drank That Dixie Down"

Since the Saints have only had 9 winning seasons out of 43 years of operation, this time of year the TVs have largely been broadcasting to many empty chairs in public locations as the Saints had only won 1 playoff game out of a handful of appearances until their recent success.  I wrote about their futitility in a piece that included what I called the greatest football song of all time, The Night We Drank That Dixie Down, which was an homage to the Saints.   I got a lot of queries wondering who it was that penned such lyrics and made the video put to a famous Robby Robertson tune.  As it turns out, the band and the writer wrote me.  It seems that the inspiration for the song was to pay tribute “to capture the melancholy surrounding the nature of being a long-time Saints fan.”

I Bet Rockin' Sydney Agrees its Finally the Saints Time

Now that the Saints have made it to the first Super Bowl in franchise history, a new song and video seemed appropriate and that new effort has the title,  Finally the Saints Time.  The words and video are set to the famous one hit wonder song “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.   Rather ironic that they chose Katrina and the Waves for the source of the tune.   The lead vocalist is Tracie Simon, but on the Drink That Dixie song, the lead singer is Valerie Andrus.    These folks are part of a group who hail from Lafayette, Nick Lick and the Hickies.  They’ve been what they call a “studio ghost band” around Acadiana for some two decades.  They apparently just get together from time to time with various musicians from other area bands at night and create little songs for radio stations just as a way to have some fun.  They don’t do it for any commercial purposes but simply to provide radio stations with well produced tunes as a way to connect with their audience.  The local public loves the songs, everyone gets a laugh and the radio station managers are particularly happy since they get content for free.

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys Might Be Found at Freds

I don’t know who else the muscians are for these songs but I do know that Pat Onellion is responsible for much of the material put out by Nick Lick and the Hickies.  Not sure if Pat was the actual writer of Drank That Dixie or Finally the Saints Time, but I suspect Pat was heavily involved.  I’m not even sure if Pat is short for Patrick or Patricia!  But that’s okay because he, or she, is a pretty good representative of musical talent that is all around Acadiana.  Every morning our TV show, Passe Partout, on KLFY would start off with about 15 or 20 minutes of videos from local musicians.  Some had more commercial success than others.  Some played traditional cajun music, others were zydeco musicians.  I loved Rockin’ Sydney and a local favorite was Rockin’ Dopsie whose footsteps have been followed by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.   There was a very popular band that I saw once at a Mardi Gras street party in Mamou, where if you ever go, you must go to Fred’s Lounge.  The band was an is  Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.  I believe that Steve and the boys  have received three Grammy Award nominations.  I also had the opportunity to meet the band Beausoleil, whom I know for certain won several Grammy Awards and have had other Grammy nominations.  You may have seen them too on the Today Show.   

You Never Know when the former Prez will show up with this horn

 When I was in Alexandria, I had the pleasure of working with Bobby Felsenthal who is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met and is one of the best rock and roll piano players you could find.  He and another great musician, Dave Duplissey, whom I believe is in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame as a fantastic saxaphonist  had many tales from their days on the road, including one great one involving a gig they once did in Arkansas.  It seems that  the young, and then little known, Arkansas Attorney General, showed up with his saxaphone to sit in with Dave.  Today, we know of that musician as President Bill Clinton.   The Nick Lick and the Hickies songs capture the fun, skill and creativity found in the Louisiana music scene, which is a great contribution to the unique art form known as American music. 

NAM Snow Midday Saturday

GFS Snow Midday Saturday...not as bullish as NAM

Weather Bottom Line:  The forecast is about the same as it was before, save for some sniping from a weather critic.  He’s actually pretty astute but, we’ll get to that in a moment. No sense giving him top billing.  Look for rain Thursday night through Friday.  I doubt it, but I suppose it’s possible for some snow overnight up around Seymour or so, but the ground is probably too warm to allow for much accumulation aside from maybe some short term stuff on grassy areas so its no big deal.  The big issue continues to be the roads on Saturday morning area wide.  The main low will move basically up along the western flank of the Appalacians.  The nation’s capital could see as much as two feet of snow.  Look for the snow in DC, Philly and Baltimore as the big story on the national news over the weekend.  We will have the upper level part of the storm.  There will be a change over to snow.  How much depends on whether or not the upper low is right over Louisville, which it might be, and we get and extended period of colder air aloft.  As it is, even if it does not pass over us, we get wrap around colder air and we get a turn over to snow.  Top side would be 3-4 inches, low side more like 1-2 inches and i bet its the low end.  But, the amount isn’t the issue.  My concern would be wet roads and temperatures falling below freezing. No brine solution can be used because of the rain so look out on Saturday morning starting a few hours before sunrise when the mercury may fall to 32 or a couple of degrees colder and ice develops on roadways.

GFS Snow by Tue Morning close to 4 inches with more to come; other models more bullish

Okay…the weather cynic.  Actually, he was absolutely right. I had said that we could see significant snow for Tuesday through Thursday.  He pointed out that everyone else said Monday.  I did, in fact, look too quickly and not look at a calendar and was off by one day.  But, I pointed out for him not to be surprised to see the days get shifted closer to what I had erroneously reported. That is because, in my experience, it is not unusual for long term models to be about 24 hours or so too fast.  Sure enough, today, the Candian model is calling for snow to start on Tuesday, not Monday.  At this point, I think that Tuesday will still be the main part of the snow with some carry over to Wednesday, but it will probably not start until late Monday or Monday evening or night.    Either way, it’s still a bit up in the air but the ranges continue to be somewhere around 4-8 inches, but, the GFS for some reason has lately decided some of that falls as rain sandwiched in between periods of snow.  I don’t like that solution so I will pretend its not there.  Be careful on the roads Saturday morning.

Saints: Best Football Song Ever, Drink That Dixie Down January 23, 2010

Outside the Haitian Community Hospital, which is overflowing and running out of water. Edge will be installing a water filtration system this week for the hospital.Wednesday scenes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Kylene Lloyd, The Courier-Journal) January 21, 2010 (cj/cj)

Haiti remains in great need and destitute.  People are asking for donations but you really aren’t too sure how your money will be used.  Help support a group who is bringing clean water to Haiti now and in the future.  You will know where your money is going, who is using it and how it is being used.  Several years ago, New Orleans had too much water in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  All was thought to be lost, especially the football team.   But, as a beacon to Haiti that recovery is possible, the Saints stand on the doorstep to the Super Bowl.  If they make it, Hell will certainly freeze over. 

A great new song about the New Orleans Saints and their quest for the elusive Super Bowl is out.  It’s called, The Night We Drank That Dixie Down and is fabulous.  To truly appreciate it, one might want to know the history of the Saints.

Tom Dempsey had half a foot and no hand but still perservered to the record books

New Orleans was awarded a franchise on November 1, 1966, which is All-Saints Day.  They went 5-1 in the preseason of 1967 and on the opening kickoff of the first game in Saints history, the kick-off was returned for a touchdown.  But, that first game kinda set the stage for the franchise.  Hope rises every year followed by disappointment.  The Saints lost that first game, but did manage to win 3 games that year.  The next two years saw improvement with 4 wins followed by 5 wins in 1969.   Their 1970 first round draft pick became a star for…the Houston Oilers.  The team fell to two wins but the season included the most celebrated event in Saints’ history for years to come.  Tom Dempsey kicked an NFL record 63 yard field goal(video)  to beat the Detroit Lions.  That record has been tied by Jason Elam of Denver kicking at the Mile High altitude of Denver, but it has not been surpassed.  

Archie Manning Loved In New Orleans But Saints Never Won Much

In the 1970′s, the Saints won a total of 42 games…an average of just 4 per year.  1979 was the first non-losing season in team history as they finished 8-8.  The first 5 years of the 1980′s were a little better with 29 wins.  By that time, the Saints had gone through several big name players such as Billy Kilmer, Jim Taylor, Archie Manning, George Rogers, Earl Campbell and Ken Stabler.  They also had headline coaches such as Dick Nolan, Hank Stram and Bum Phillips.  Still the highlight of the Saints remained Dempsey’s 63 yard field goal.  The team then went from sad sacks to not too bad and hope was born when Jim Mora took over in 1986. 

Mora asks, "Playoffs?"

After going 7-9 in Mora’s first season, the Saints won 12 games and made the playoffs.  Both the win total and the playoff appearance were firsts for New Orleans.  But, they lost in the playoffs.  The next two years were teasers with 9 wins coming in ’88 and ’89 but they did not make the playoffs.  Still, Saint’s fans were optimistic. In 1990, they were a .500 team but still made the playoffs and promtly lost.  Double-digit wins in 1991 and 1992 led to first round playoff losses.  Saints fans though, remained loyal.  For the next few years, the Saints were mediocre, did not make the playoffs and when the team began 1996 at 2-6, the loyal fans still showed up, but did so wearing bags on their heads that said “Aints”.  That was it for Mora. 

Ditka Williams Marriage Ended Sour

Mike Ditka showed up and Saints’ fans once again were optimistic.  The team went 6-10 in Iron Mike’s first two years, but after Ditka traded all of the team’s draft picks in 1999 for RB Ricky Williams and the team tumbled to just 3 wins, the Aints bags were back out and Ditka was sent packing.  The 2000′s showed improvement but still, they were back to being almost good enough.  It was the make the playoffs and out routine or just missing the playoffs routine.  Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and the Saints were forced to play their home games in San Antonio, TX.  Rumors were that  owner Tom Benson, who was from San Antonio, would move the team.   The population of New Orleans fell by the thousands and there was question as to the city could still support the team.  But, those naysayers underestimated the heart of a Saints fan. 

Drew Brees Has Saints on the Super Bowl Doorstep

I can tell you…if you live anywhere in the state of Louisiana, there is no other game on TV besides the Saints, regardless of their record.  Well, in 2006, Drew Brees led the Saints all the way to the NFC Championship game where they lost, again.  After a couple of good but disappointing years, the Saints now find themselves with home field advantage in the NFC Championship Game again.  They play the Minnesota Vikings who have a soap-opera storyline themselves with 4 Superbowl losses in the 1970′s.  And this year they have the journeyman future Hall of Famer Bret Favre.  But at least the Vikings have made it to the Super Bowl.  The Saints are one of only three teams to not be in the big game or an NFL Championship game.  The other two are the Jacksonville Jaguars who did not enter the league until 1995 and the Houston Texans who only have been around since 2002. 

So, let us all hoist a Dixie Beer to the Saints and their loyal but long suffering fans and see what fate befalls the team after 43 years of futility.

NWS Louisville graphic

Weather Bottom Line:  We did not get any sunshine today but it was still rather mild with highs in the mid 50′s…sorry you had to go to Bowling Green to find 60.  I will give you one certainty. It will be colder next week.  Beyond that, it gets kinda muddled.  Saturday night will be a good chance for rain and possible t’storms, though nothing too exciting.  Same is true on Sunday.  A cold front comes through on Monday and then a secondary trof may bring some snow late Monday with some flurries or light snow.  I think the snow total comes to about an inch on the most aggressive model and that is over about 36 hours.  The ground probably won’t be cold enough for much accumulation  initially so it really wont be that big of a deal though driving may be tough Tuesday morning.   After that, we have another system by Thursday or Friday.  Some data suggests a guy coming from the Gulf and other ideas are it comes across the southern tier of states.  We may get above freezing from time to time during the week but not much and by late Thursday or early Friday, the issue of the track of the next system will determine how much snow we get. I can draw a scenario of 6 inches and another of rain with a little snow and then another with some ice mixed in, which I don’t like.  So, we’ll have to wait and see.

Without Cold Winters, We Might Not Have Basketball January 20, 2010

Not Sure If This is What Naismith Had in Mind and It's Not Clear We Ever Would Have Heard of Michael Jordan if it Weren't For Cold Massachusetts Winters

Women's Basketball Was introduced to Smith College A Few Months After 1st Men's Team. This is Smith practice in 1903

On This Date in History: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.  Not sure why Cleveland was picked except maybe the state and city provided good tax incentives.  But, at least its in a big city.  Baseball’s Hall of Fame is in tiny Cooperstown, NY.  I love that town.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio.  The Hockey Hall of Fame was supposed to be in Kingston Canada but funding dried up.  Eventually, it ended up in Toronto.  I think the first time the term “Hall of Fame” was used was in 1900 when the Hall of Fame for Great Americans was established at New York University, now Bronx Community College.  Then, the sporting world jumped on the bandwagon.  I believe that myth, folklore or history suggests that baseball was first played in Cooperstown and football in Canton, which is why those towns were chosen.  The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, MA because, on this date in 1892, the first basketball game was played.

Dr. Naismith's gym class produced the first basketball team. They consisted of nine players and their coach, pictured here on the steps of Springfield College Gymnasium. Back row: John G. Thompson; Eugene S. Libby; Edwin P. Ruggles; William R. Chase; T. Duncan Patton. Center: Frank Mahan; James Naismith. Front row: F. G. Macdonald; William H. Davis; Lyman W. Archibald.

It was invented by James Naismith, probably during the Christmas holidays in late 1891.   It really came about as a matter of necessity than anything else.   See, Naismith was a Physical Education teacher at the YMCA International Training School in 1891.  Today, it is referred to as Springfield College.  It gets cold in Massachusetts in the winter.  He had to find an indoor game of “athletic distraction” for the students.  He considered outdoor games such as Lacrosse and Rugby but thought they were too rough, though he did figure a way to eliminate tackling of Rugby was to disallow running and he liked the idea of the goals of LaCrosse.  Then, he remembered a game from his youth called Duck on a Rock.  Something about trying to knock a “duck” off the top of a large rock by throwing another rock at it.  I guess the prospects of throwing rocks in a closed building wasn’t too appealing but he did gain some inspiration from his recollection of that game.

1936 Olympics Are remembered as the Nazi Olympics by many and the Olympics of Jesse Owens humiliating Hitler. But For Naismith, they were the showcase for his game

The rules of the game have evolved.  Originally, Naismith used soccer balls and the baskets were peach baskets.  No one thought of punching a hole in the bottom of the baskets so, when a goal was scored, either a long dowel had to be used to punch the ball out or a guy on a ladder had to climb up to retrieve the ball.  So, the game wasn’t as fast paced as it is today.  Also, originally, bouncing or dribbling the ball as one moved was not part of the rules.  But, you couldn’t run with it either.  It was strictly a passing game.  The court was also half the size of the modern playing area.  Many people today say that basketball players are the best athletes in the world, but I suppose that was not the case back in the day.   Due to the popularity of the YMCA, the game spread rapidly across America and eventually was adopted by organizations in other countries.    Naismith lived to see the little game he invented become an Olympic sport in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  By that time, the game had evolved to include movement being allowed as long as a player bounced, or dribbled the ball; the dimensions of the court were doubled; the number of players for each team at any given time was reduced from 9 to 5 and there was an introduction of a free throw line for foul shots.  Oh…and someone did figure out that it might be a good idea to have baskets with an open bottom end.   It is interesting to note that basketball is the only sport in which the women’s game developed simultaneously with the men’s game as Smith College took up the sport in 1892, shortly after Naismith had invented it in Springfield.

Here are the original 13 rules as outlined by Naismith:

1)The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

2)The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.

3)A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.

4)The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.

5)No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.

6)A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.

7)If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).

8)Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.

9)When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.

10)The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

11)The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.

12)The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes’ rest between.

13)The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.

Thursday Morning low still isnt here

Weather Bottom Line:  The song remains the same.  The shortwave ridging did materialize on Tuesday afternoon but only served to dry the air enough to take out the fog and get the temperatures to the mid to upper 40′s.  There probably was some freezing fog on surfaces like cars and handrails Tuesday morning but road temperatures probably weren’t low enough to cause problems.  Anyway, we still have the pokey low coming in from the west along the stalled frontal boundary.  Look for chilly rain off  and on through early Friday.  Rain chances will go up throughout the day on Wednesday and crescendo on Thursday.  Saturday still looks okay but Sunday…we may even hear some thunder and see some lightning.  At this point, models are hinting at colder air for the last week of January, possibly a little snow.  But we’ll see…the data has been inconsistent and its more than a week away.