Tom Brady's injury is a bad thing for many people on a number of levels. Bad for the Patriots in the AFC East. Bad for Brady because his knee is kind of funked. And bad for fantasy owners, because according to Darren Rovell, if Brady is out for the season, his collective ownership will lose $150 million.
Here's how the math is done.
Brady's incredible year last year, which included a record 50 touchdown passes, meant that about 50 percent of the people who drafted Brady last year won their leagues, Thomas said. With the Brady hype not bought by all, Thomas said that it was believed that about 30 percent of leagues this year would be won because of Brady.
With about $500 million in fantasy prizes on the line, that's a $150 million shift in dollars. And some think that's at the low end of the spectrum since the total value of office pools is tough to ascertain.
See, I would have had it pegged for more -- there are TONS of fantasy football leagues in which none of the prizes are monitored by any website or agency of any kind. Hell, I'm in at least ... um, zero of them. Yes, zero.
One of the great upsets and great dramas in sports history produced more than just one winner – the New York Giants – and one loser – the New England Patriots. The game within a game (not to mention the television broadcast), a week of Super Bowl excess and the crushed shot at history for the Patriots produced all of the following:
WINNER: The Giants' defensive front
Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Jay Alford, et al. dominated this football game, pressuring Tom Brady like no other opponent all season.
It wasn't just the five sacks. It wasn't just the rushes that threw off Brady's timing and derailed the usually high-octane Patriots offense. It was how Brady was edged even when he wasn't pressured, how he overthrew wide-open receivers and made too-quick decisions. It was the false starts by the overwhelmed Patriots line.
ADVERTISEMENT It's unlikely even Tom Coughlin thought his team could win 17-14, more likely thinking his team needed to get at least 28 points. But the line did it. The Giants thoroughly outplayed the Patriots in this game, and this was where it started.
WINNER: Eli Manning
He long has been doubted and often has been hammered by fans and in the media. In truth, he often has deserved it. But he matured in this postseason, and his fourth-quarter drive will cement his legend in New York forever.
The numbers – 19-of-34 passing, 255 yards – never will tell the story of a guy who kept the mistakes to the minimum and, when needed, played like an all-time great.
"Eli Manning Super Bowl MVP" was a phrase that probably no one – not even Archie Manning (by the way, can we have some new sons?) – would have believed just a month ago. But here we are, Eli looking on that final drive like Brady did in his first Super Bowl triumph over the St. Louis Rams.
LOSER: Bill Belichick
His third-quarter decision to go for it on fourth-and-13 rather than kick a 49-yard field goal will be analyzed forever. His kicker, Stephen Gostkowski, was at the end but certainly within his range. A successful kick would have made the game 10-3 and, eventually, 17-17.
Even if he missed, the field position loss wasn't that bad (Giants' 31-yard line). Fourth-and-13 is about as low percentage as it gets, and for Belichick to make such a confused tactical decision seemed to help build confidence in the Giants.
MorrisWINNER: 1972 Dolphins
They remain the only perfect team in the NFL's Super Bowl era, their spot in history secure for, who knows, maybe another 35 years. If this Patriots team couldn't navigate the salary cap era's first 19-0 season, then who can?
LOSER: The rest of us
Who have to continue hearing Mercury Morris and his fellow grumpy old men crow about it.
WINNER: Plaxico Burress
Not so much for his winning TD catch – he was all alone and should have made it – but his prediction of 23-17. It was an overblown story, but it is worth noting Brady's reaction.
"We're only going to score 17 points?" Brady said with a laugh. "OK. Is Plax playing defense?"
Turns out New England wished it could have scored 17.
TyreeWINNER: Eli Manning to David Tyree
Perhaps no play epitomized the Giants' heart in this game more than their last hookup. First, Manning was all but sacked three different times, somehow fought it all off, scrambled free and made a desperation throw for an against-the-helmet, test of wills 32-yard catch by Tyree.
That was the stuff of legend.
All over Phoenix this week hung signs that read "Who Wants It More?" Turns out it was a former sixth-round pick.
LOSER: Tom Brady
The guy was harassed all night and did deliver a late-game touchdown drive, but his body language and facial expressions throughout were anything but his old cool self. When the going got really tough in this game (aside from the aforementioned series), he couldn't find a way to make this offense move the football. For someone who always had been so great in the most tense of moments, this was an unexpected stumble.
WINNER: "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
The Fox show not only looks somewhat promising but also its in-game advertisements where the terminators arrived to beat up the Fox robot were something football fans have been waiting for all season. Since when does a robot need high knees to "warm up"? Plus, it has been trash talking all season. The beat down was long overdue. Of course, the robot returned, indestructible like a terminator, apparently.
PettyWINNER: Tom Petty
Petty never seemed like a real flashy act, and he served himself well by keeping the Super Bowl pyrotechnics to a minimum and just playing four of his classics. It may not go down as the most memorable Super Bowl halftime show, but it was a definite crowd pleaser and certainly loved by his fans.
Super Bowl acts usually fail when they try to do too much – or in the infamous Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson encounter, reveal too much. There's nothing wrong with keeping it simple.
LOSER: Bill Belichick fashion
BelichickWhy mess with the championship karma of the gray hoodie and go with that strange new red hoodie? Was it a play to the team's old colors and Pat the Patriot logo? Or an effort to push more merchandise? There weren't any Patriots fans watching who didn't get worried when they first saw the red hoodie, which, predictably, didn't even look good.
His postgame interview was priceless, though – forever the epitome of the devastated coach.
WINNER: New York-Boston rivalry
It just gets more intense from here on out, with New York delivering its answer for the Red Sox's historic 2004 American League Championship Series victory over the Yankees after trailing 3-0.
WelkerWINNER: Wes Welker
Along with Kevin Faulk, Welker was the Patriot who showed up and delivered like it was a Super Bowl. His 11 catches for 103 yards weren't just impressive; they often were back-breaking numbers on crucial third downs.
LOSER: Phoenix as a host city
It's far too spread out and the downtown lacks life, which means you wouldn't even know the Super Bowl was really happening. The stadium is nice, but it is one of the strangest architectural works you'll see, plopped down in the middle of a suburb that still is a lot of desert. The NFL's decision to stage its fan "NFL Experience" out in a parking lot there didn't help. Oh, and it's not even warm there this time of year.
WINNER: Troy Aikman
He was insightful but not noisy, entertaining but not overbearing – a fine effort from a guy who has moved seamlessly from Super Bowl field to broadcast booth in short time. Maybe best of all, he so recently won three championships but in remembering why everyone is watching didn't relate every story back to him.
WINNER: The "7" and "3" squares
A double winner after the second and third quarters; a payout oddity that almost was even better – it was within seconds of being the first-quarter winner also.
CoughlinWINNER: Tom Coughlin
The man was best known for never smiling. Then came this year when he buddied up with the players, tried to enjoy life a little bit and let everyone in the franchise breathe a bit.
In separate radio interviews yesterday, Brady and cornerback Randall Gay responded to criticisms that the Patriots are running up the score. Brady, in his weekly interview on WEEI, responded passionately when asked if the starters are staying in too long. "We're still trying to make improvements and we're trying to play extremely well," he said. "We're not trying to win 42-28, we're trying to kill teams, we're trying to blow them out if we can. You want to build momentum for each week, you don't want to be up, 42-7 or 35-7, and all of a sudden you look up and it's 35-21. We don't want to be part of that, you don't want to go into next week realizing that for the last 18 minutes of the game your team didn't play well, or didn't play up to its capabilities. You gave other teams momentum for the next time they play you, or you gave another team a reason not to be intimidated." Gay, on ESPN Radio's "Game Night" program, said, "It kind of makes me mad when you hear somebody from the other team's defense going, 'They shouldn't have done that; that's disrespect.' Do we think it's disrespect when they went and picked up their checks for letting a team score 50 points on them? That should be disrespect; that you went to your owner and said, 'All right, pay me for that game I just played.' You can't look at it like that. You have to go out there and do your best. If somebody is blowing you out, you have to play harder. You have to stop them."
OLE MERCURY IS STILL COCKY AS EVER AT AROUND 60 YEARS OLD, THIS GUY WAS ONE OF PRO SPORT FIRST GREAT BLOW FIENDS. HE TAKES A BACK SEAT TO NO ONE IN VERBAL SELF EXPRESSION !!!
THE NEW CHEATING PATRIOTS. "IF YOU AIN'T CHEATIN', YOU AINT TRYIN" BILL BELECHICK
BELICHICK SAID HE MISINTERPRETED THE RULES?,,,WHAT PART OF STEALING THE OTHER TEAMS PLAYS USING A VIDEO CAMERA IS CHEATING, DIDN'T HE UNDERSTAND ???
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Bill Belichick is ready for his close-up. The Patriots' coach escaped suspension for using a video camera to spy on opposing coaches, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell deciding instead on Thursday night to fine him $500,000 and dock the team $250,000 and a first-day draft pick next year.
It was the biggest fine ever for a coach and the first time in NFL history a first-round draft pick has been confiscated as a penalty. But Belichick will be on the sideline on Sunday night, as planned, when the Patriots play the San Diego Chargers.
"I specifically considered whether to impose a suspension on Coach Belichick," Goodell wrote in a letter to the team. "I have determined not to do so, largely because I believe that the discipline I am imposing of a maximum fine and forfeiture of a first-round draft choice, or multiple draft choices, is in fact more significant and long-lasting, and therefore more effective, than a suspension."
Goodell found the Patriots guilty of using videotape to try to steal the New York Jets' signals during Sunday's game. He ordered New England to surrender next year's first-round draft choice if it reaches the playoffs, and second- and third-round picks if it doesn't.
Both the NFL and Belichick stressed that the camera was seized before the end of the first quarter and had no impact on the game, which the Patriots won 38-14.
"This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field," Goodell wrote.
The NFL statement said Goodell believed owner Robert Kraft was unaware of Belichick's actions. But the commissioner penalized the club because of Belichick's "substantial control over all aspects of New England's football operations."
"His actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club," Goodell said.
Reached at his home, Kraft declined to comment.
In a statement issued two hours after the punishment was announced, Belichick said he misinterpreted the league's rules but acknowledged that "part of my job as head coach is to ensure that our football operations are conducted in compliance of the league rules and all accepted interpretations of them."
"I accept full responsibility for the actions that led to tonight's ruling," the statement said. "Once again, I apologize to the Kraft family and every person directly or indirectly associated with the New England Patriots for the embarrassment, distraction and penalty my mistake caused. I also apologize to Patriots fans and would like to thank them for their support during the past few days and throughout my career."
The Jets said they "support the commissioner and his findings."
New England has been accused of illegal videotaping before, but the team was caught on Sunday when a camera was confiscated from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella while he was on the Jets' sideline during the game at Giants Stadium.
NFL rules state, in part: "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." That was re-emphasized in a memo sent Sept. 6 to NFL head coaches and general managers in which the league said: "Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game."
Belichick is the first head coach to land on Goodell's crowded docket, but the commissioner has made good conduct the hallmark of his administration.
He banned Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire season after repeated run-ins with police. Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick was suspended indefinitely while he faces a likely jail term for his role in a dogfighting ring.
Goodell also told the Patriots that the NFL would closely review and monitor their coaching video program, effective immediately. SO DOES THIS MEAN THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES GET THE PATRIOTS SUPERBOWL TROPHY ?
But some of New England's past opponents wanted the penalty to be more harsh.
"I think they should forfeit, man," said Reno Mahe, whose Philadelphia Eagles lost the 2005 Super Bowl to the Patriots. "We won the Super Bowl. I think we should get it. I'm going to go trade my NFC championship ring for a Super Bowl ring."
