The week in sports

Tuesday January 20,2009 was a historic day in American history. The first Africa American was sworn in as our country’s 44th President, that moment will be in the history books. It was a moment historians and scholars will be dissecting for years and decades to come. It was a day to be a proud American and to celebrate our democracy. He has already kept a lot of his campaign promises like closing down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Change has definitely come to America.

Now back to sports.

The two weeks between the Super Bowl and the Conference Championship Games are one of the most boring times of the year. The last week especially, on all of the ESPN talk shows it’s all about the Super Bowl and the Draft. You had all this week to talk about the Super Bowl, and the Draft is not until April. ESPN should limit the talk to Monday after the Conference Championship Games then end it. The NFL Draft talk should be done after the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl: let the season end first. Speaking of the Pro Bowl it looks like it will move to the week between the Championships Games and the Super Bowl as well as to the Super Bowl city of Miami next season. Good move, it gives us something to watch and gives the Pro Bowl the spotlight it needs.

Speaking of ESPN, they are looking for a new Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is the public's representative to ESPN, offering independent examination and analysis of ESPN's media outlets. I’M in, I watch ESPN all the time and I am critical of them most of the time. My opinion is that ESPN takes itself too seriously. Take last week for instance; they issued a press release about reporter Chris Berman covering the Super Bowl, why? It is not about what ESPN is or their reporters are doing at the Super Bowl it’s about the game. But they made the story about a reporter instead of an athlete; this should not be the case.
Please ESPN I need a job!

This Weekend
This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. This year’s game is on NBC and its their 16th Super Bowl but first since 1998. Super Sunday kicks-off at 9 A.M. with a special three-hour edition of the “Today Show” with Meredith, Al, and Ann in Tampa. The official pre-game show begins at Noon with NFL Films Production “Road to the Super Bowl” review of the season. Starting at 1 P.M. is NBC Sports Super Bowl XLIII Pregame show with a cast of thousands, literarily. The highlight of the Pregame will be Matt Lauer will have a live interview with President Brack Obama from the White House. Kick off is set for 6:30 P.M., the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Arizona Cardinals. Jennifer Hudson will sing “The Star Spangled Banner” before kickoff. The half-time entertainment is: The Boss” Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band.

My pick is the Steelers, but it will be closer than most people think.

I’M actually looking forward to the pre game show. I like Bob Costas and Keith Olbermann and I want to see how they will use the cast of thousands on the program.

Take care and talk to you next week.

Jamie Lazaroff