Jan 12, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Detailed view of a Baltimore Ravens helmet on the bench against the Denver Broncos during the AFC divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With the #32 and final pick in the 1st round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens have selected Matt Elam out of Florida.

They lost Ed Reed to the Houston Texans and Matt Elam was a guy they were interested in drafting if he was available, so in a way it works out. A hard hitting defender, has the potential to play like Ed Reed (not saying he will be Ed Reed, just throwing that out there). Has speed and awareness he needs to be a play maker for this defense, possibly a future captain of this defense as time goes on. Great pick up by the Baltimore Ravens as the 1st round comes to a close.

2nd round begins tomorrow, starting off with the Jacksonville Jaguars if they do if fact decide to keep the #33 pick.

March 18, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a press conference during the annual NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

I logged onto YouTube yesterday to check out a few music videos and I noticed that ESPN uploaded a video of Ray Lewis on ESPN talking about how his pre-game dance came about and also how the game has changed. I have thought about doing a piece on this subject for awhile.

I love this game a lot, this is more than just a game to me. When I was a kid, watching games with my Father, Uncles or whoever was around, was great. We all have memories of us surrounded by our elders as kids, eyes glued to the TV, watching our favorite teams or even the Super Bowl. The hard hits, the competition and level of play back when I was a kid was totally different. There are way too many guys who were known to put a hurting on offensive players, to even list.

Being born in 1988, I can only recall memories of players who were in the 90′s, when I was actually aware of what was going on. But I know the history of the league, because of my Father and other guys I grew up around and the fact that I love this sport so much, I dig deep in history and got to know the style of play for different players who stepped foot on that glorious grid-iron.

Now with this interview Ray Lewis had on ESPN, I know he was there mainly to get people to vote for him to grace the cover of the new Madden. But the fact that they asked Ray about how things have changed, really drew me in and everything else around me was immediately zoned out. He said,

“The way this game was built, the way this game was played, MEN decided that this is what I wanted to do. And that’s why I love this game, because it was by any means necessary, now it’s kinda altered. Now you got to kind of be careful how you do this, be careful how you do that. I honestly believe, if you leave the game alone, the game will take care of itself. The more rules you add, the worse the game is gonna start getting.”

What really got to me, was when he said, “Go back to old school.” Old school, that style of play, being one of the reasons that I myself, also fell in love with this game. I loved laying hits on defensive players, laying them flat on their backs and getting a reaction from both the crowd and sidelines. Ray Lewis, besides my Father was a reason why I wanted to play this game. I wanted to become a linebacker like Lewis, but couldn’t due to the fact that junior tackle had weight limits, so I was put on the offensive line and fell in love with both the tackle and guard position.

That smash mouth play, putting all you can into a hit to stop your opponent, is truly beautiful. Now the health side of the game comes into play, but if you put on these pads, if you decided to play yourself in high school or whatever, or your parents signed you up, you will get hurt playing this game. Injuries are apart of this sport, so no matter how many rules this league decides to add, you can’t stop people from having concussions or breaking bones or having brain trauma later on in life, because this game has so much contact in it. The Lingerie Football League is a league full of females and they hit each other just as hard as these bigger and faster guys do in this league.

The rules have been changing since the 1970′s, but the level of play has kept up and most of our parents, even grandparents can still recall those hard hitting players who once were.  Guys like Jack Tatum, Lawrence Taylor, John Randle, Reggie White, Bill Romanowski, Ray Lewis, just to name a few, are warriors of what this league once was. Fines are still handed out, players are still getting hurt. So what is the point really of these rules? To get more money? You know, if you have ever put on a uniform and stepped on the field, once that ball is snapped, everything is a blur, there is no way you can stop yourself from following through with a hard hit on someone, leaning in with your head or not.

Which is another rule that is being changed this season, the ‘Crown of the Helmet’ rule. No more putting your head down for running backs to run somebody over, if you do it, you get fined. Which made me shake my head, knowing that every back in this league, or players looking to get into this league, all lower their heads before impact to fight for that extra yard. What does that do for goal line situations? Guys like Steven Jackson? Matt Forte? Every running back lowers their head. And this rule with offensive linemen or every play blockers, no more low blocks.

In a way, not to offend anybody who has previously or is currently serving in our military, this game is like a war. You put them pads on, you throw on that jersey representing the team you play for and the name of that team, as soon as you step onto that field or line up before the ball is snapped, you are a soldier getting ready to go to war with the team across from you. The coaches are your generals, your teammates who are in the same uniform as you, are your brothers in arms. Each practice, each game is a battle, no matter what grade level you are in, from pop warner all the way up to high school/college and eventually a professional level.

Ray Lewis is definitely right when he said the game has totally changed. And I agree that it should scrap these rules that we all ‘hate’, are just going to take money out of pockets who put their heart and soul into every game they play. I am just lucky and proud that I played and watched this sport in its glory days, because honestly, if I would have grown up in a future generation that I’m sure will see even more changes to this game, I probably wouldn’t even come close to having the passion or love of the game, the way I do. If anything, I probably wouldn’t love it at all. All we can do is reminisce of what this game once was.

Sept 5, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants fans Janna Koch (left), Ryan Katz (center) and Nick Pennetti of Morristown wave Super Bowl towels before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

Traditionally the Super Bowl has been played in the southern United States to ensure good weather. Cities like Miami, Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville have all hosted the Super Bowl. Dallas hosted it once and had a historically cold week leading up to the Super Bowl when the city was immobilized by an unusually large amount of snow but it had the roof closed at Cowboys Stadium. Northern cities like Detroit and Indianapolis have hosted it but both have dome stadiums or retractable roofs.

So many were shocked that the 2014 Super Bowl would be held in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Jets and New York Giants. When we watched that particular part of the region get hammered by a snow storm this past week, it served as a sobering reminder of what game conditions could be like in 2014.

“You know it will be a lot cooler, but there will be a lot of people and transportation issues regardless,” said Jeff Miller, NFL vice president of security. “When you have a lot of moving parts and large crowds, you are moving on transportation systems already overloaded with daily commuters, so you’ve got some issues to deal with.”

NFL.com cited another source as saying ”we have to look at all the angles: storm arriving day-of-game, storm arriving prior to game, storm arriving after game.”

So in the event of a snow storm what are the options? I personally wouldn’t mind seeing a snowy Super Bowl a throwback championship game of sorts reminiscent of the ice bowl.

Options include moving the game forward to Saturday, or delaying the game a couple days. Could you imagine a Saturday Super Bowl, or even worse… a Tuesday Super Bowl? Saturday would go against tradition, but certainly having a day off before work would be nice.

How would you go about planning a Super Bowl? What would the invite say?

“Come watch the Super Bowl with all your closest friends on my new 72″ plasma TV!

Date: To be determined, Sunday I think. If it’s Saturday it’s on and bring more beer. If it’s Tuesday you’re on your own.”

Statistically a n’oreaster like this one isn’t typical and a snow storm shouldn’t be expected. But as Dallas learned, you can’t count on your “usual weather” a nice 70 degrees in early February when the Super Bowl comes to town.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ersin Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Ray Lewis dances one more time in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium. He hand’s off the trophy before doing the dance, I think he should’ve done the dance trophy in hand.

The stadium is so full they had to stop letting people in, estimated attendance inside the stadium is roughly 80,000. Ravens owner said that they originally esitmated 30,000 people would attend.

The Ravens players were in military vehicles, and the fans broke the barriers to get closer to Ray Lewis and walk down the street with with. They had the police officers on horseback escort Ray Lewis to keep fans at bay.

This caused the Ravens to arrive late to their Super Bowl party inside the stadium.

He danced, enjoyed the moment, invited teammates to come do the dance with him.

Ray Lewis thanked Baltimore and said “Baltimore, forever my city” in the celebration.

Ed Reed also wore a camera on his head to document every step.

[h/t] Bleacher Report for the GIF above

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis (52) in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This play off run for the Baltimore Ravens was all one long drawn out ride into the sunset for Ray Lewis. He climbed the mountain won the trophy and got a proper NFL send off. But if you watched the game you might have noticed Lewis wasn’t the dominant force he was in Super Bowl XXXV when he won MVP honors.

Former teammate Trevor Pryce says that Lewis played so badly that he shouldn’t even get to cash the pay check from the game. I’m sure Ray Lewis would let the Ravens keep the check cause he only wanted the hardware.

“Half of his playoff check should go to Dannell Ellerbe for making that last play on that last fade route,” said Pryce, via Jim Rome. “The other half to Greg Roman the 49ers offensive coordinator.”

Dannell Ellerbe led the Ravens in tackles in the Super Bowl with 9, Lewis had 7 tackles in the game, second highest on the team. That could be misleading though because Ray Lewis was overmatched against San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. Colin Kaepernick threw 8 passes to Davis, and he hauled in 6 for 104 yards. Lewis was chasing Davis all over trying to keep up.

And in for your curious how the man who can motivate and captivate men to play above their natural levels with simply his words could under perform, Pryce has a answer for you. And no it’s not old age.

“I think he played with a case of the nerves. I think he had the yips. I really do,” said Pryce. “He had it bad; he didn’t look like himself, even his new self. Forget his old self, that guy’s gone, that guy’s named Patrick Willis. But even the guy he was last week, he wasn’t that guy. He had a case of it bad, badly. It was almost like he was just hoping let’s get this over with.”

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; The Baltimore Ravens celebrate winning Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve all grown accustomed to the television spectacle the NFL’s Super Bowl has become. What other program on TV do people literally watch just for the commercials? Every other show in America viewers go to the restroom during commercials or fast forward through them on their DVR, but not during the Super Bowl.

In fact, a percentage of Americans arguably only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. And those that aren’t there for the commercials or the game are their for the half time show.

This year we saw Beyonce perform and bring her former Destiny’s Child friends on stage with her. But the Super Bowl half time show always lands huge stars.

And The Nielson Company says that this year’s Super Bowl was the most watched television show in U.S. history with 164.1 million viewers. The previous high was 162.9 million from Super Bowl XLV which saw the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The last 5 Super Bowl’s have all eclipsed the 150 million mark, and now 22 of the most watched television shows, in terms of total audience, in the United States are Super Bowls.

Now Super Bowl XLVII averaged 108.4 million viewers, which is third best all time.

We can only imagine how expensive ad time will be during next year’s Super Bowl, $4.5 million for 30 seconds?

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manger Ozzie Newsome celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It’s so obvious, I’m glad I thought of it. I need to figure out a way to make money off this idea, but I’d settle for just getting the day off.

Here’s the deal: they have Washington’s Birthday or I guess now they sorta combined him with Lincoln or something and made it “Presidents Day.” Third Monday in February I think it is. And the Super Bowl that used to be played in late January, now increasingly falls out on the first few days of February. Not a huge deal, but that puts it too far away to combine with Martin Luther King Day, and the game has become a “February” event in our minds. “January football” now means Playoffs and “if you wanna be playing in February” is now a direct reference to making it to the Super Bowl.

So, you see where I’m going with this, right? Presidents Day is kinda pointless anyway. It’s just some random Monday off. It’s not like we plan family visits or anything. And it usually isn’t really on Washington’s actual birthday, so why not move it back couple weeks and make it the first Monday in February? Like it matters. Jesus wasn’t born on December 25.

But wait…. that’s not all. I’m not proposing the day after Super Bowl be Presidents Day just for the partying factor and being able to stay up late for the game (hey, a new generation of kids/fans/consumers need to be raised, how can they watch the big game if they have school in the morning?). And it’s not to avoid calling in sick, AKA hungover.

This is actually an economic stimulus package that I implore President Obama, enthusiastic sports fan that he is, to embrace and pursue. Presidents Day is usually filled with ridiculous sales on cars and mattresses (two items that are ALWAYS on sale). They drum up these silly commercials with cartoons of Lincoln and Washington to tell us to shop for stuff. Why? Most of us just do laundry that day and wonder what might be open or closed, since it’s not really a holiday but it is. So no one shops. Wasted holiday.

So, once you move it to the day after the Super Bowl, Presidents Day will be right after the day/night famous for not just football, but for the fact that 10’s of millions of Americans of all demographics gather around their TV’s to WATCH THE COMMERCIALS. Personally I’m all about the game. But a LOT of people come right out and say they are “excited” for the “commercials.”

What an opportunity! Wouldn’t it be awesome if, the day after the Super Bowl, hordes of Americans were off work and school, and heading out to buy the cars and colas and countless other crappy items they saw advertised the night before!

This makes too much sense. And while it might not happen, I think it’s more likely than the NFL moving the game to Saturday. But, until then, just keep callin’ in sick.

Jan 30, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Riley Guilmino poses with a New Orleans Saints No. 1 jersey at the NFL Draft exhibit at the Super Bowl XLVII Experience at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Not much has changed on our boards despite the location of a few teams. We will continue to update the Mock Draft regularly as we follow the NFL offseason, players being dropped and added. Combine and other information that comes out about prospects.

1. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

Many thought KC would go with a quarterback with the first overall pick, and Kansas City would certainly like to draft a franchise quarterback, however this draft lacks talent at that position. So a franchise LT is a good pick, and can help any QB elevate their game by keeping them off their back and flat on their feet in a pocket. Joeckel is a monster at 6’6″ and 310 pounds.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s adjustment to a 4-3 defense worked well for Moore and he is taking advantage of A&M’s season. The Jaguars also run a 4-3 defense and need someone to get after the quarterback. They had a league worse sacks on 3.6% of quarterback drop backs. He’s quick and can turn the corner and accelerate.

3. Oakland Raiders – Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

They need defensive help an MLB wouldn’t be a surprise here either but Lotulelei is the best player available at this spot for the Raiders. He is in the same mold of Glenn Dorsey, someone who demands attention and frees his line mates up. And if he isn’t being double teamed he has the speed to beat interior blockers and get into the backfield.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

Fisher is a large intimidating tackle at 6’7″ but he uses his size well. He gets in a wide stance and absorbs the rush, and he made MAC rushers look like high schoolers but he also excelled against top competition. Again, the Eagles need to protect their quarterback, whether it be Michael Vick or Nick Foles.

5. Detroit Lions – Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

They have arguably the best interior defensive line with Nick Fairley and Ndamukung Suh. On the LE they have the young and talented Cliff Avril, but on the RE they have the aging Kyle Vanden Bosch. Werner would be a good pick to really create a monster of a young defensive line. We saw the New York Giants succeed with drafting pass rushers, and Werner is the same mold as J.J. Watt. He can read the play and get after the quarterback, and disrupt plays. They may even plug him in at LE and move Avril to RE because of that.

6. Cleveland Browns – Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Mel Kiper has Jones as the #1 player on his big board, out of all positions. Jones is an ideal outside linebacker who led the nation in sacks last year. And the Browns, who have a desperate need at OLB are getting a steal here. Despite his superb pass rushing abilities, he can hold up against the run too. The Browns were 25th in the NFL against the pass.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Matt Barkley, QB, USC

Well Kevin Kolb didn’t work out, and neither did John Skelton, or Ryan Lindley. They signed a free agent off the street in December, Brian Hoyer, and he finished the season starting two games for the Cards. The Cardinals need security at the quarterback position, and USC is known for producing successful quarterbacks. Carson Palmer, Matt Cassell and Mark Sanchez were all more then serviceable at one point.

8. Buffalo Bills – Geno Smith, QB, West Virgina

As we see the new era of mobile quarterbacks flourish behind young new comers to the NFL like Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Rg3, the Bills might finally be ready to move past Ryan Fitzpatrick and embrace this new trend in the NFL. The zone-read is taking over and Geno Smith can fit in the system or even the pistol, and his mobility might help free up their passing attack which ranked 25th in the league.

9. New York Jets – Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

While they need help at skill positions on the offensive side specifically the passing attack, their just isn’t talent worthy of a Top 10 pick. They’ve seen their cross town rivals the Giants succeed behind the pass rush and could look to the defensive side of the ball for a selection. The Jets have good corners, but having a threatening pass rusher could allow this defense to thrive. Mingo and the Jets’ corners could compliment each other very well and Mingo could get lots of quality “coverage sacks.”

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

Warmack is an exceptional interior offensive lineman. So much that he was the best offesnive lineman for Alabama, that’s high praise. And the Titans will take him with the last pick of the Top 10, which makes him the first OG to be taken in the Top 10 since 1997. His specialty is that he’s a great run blocker who can find line backers on the second level. Chris Johnson will be very excited next season.

11. San Diego Chargers – D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

This is hire then some expect Fluker to go, but they have a desperate need at every spot on their offensive line. With Fisher coming off the board earlier and their hopes of getting him here at this spot lying in pieces around them, they stick to the plan and go for a big reliable tackle from the SEC.

12. Miami Dolphins – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

The Dolphins found their quarterback of the future in Ryan Tannehill in last year’s draft. This year they’re looking to replace Brandon Marshall and give their young QB someone to work with. Patterson is slightly unproven having spent two years at a junior college before going to Tennessee, but he has height and strength that should help him beat cornerbacks, and he can beat defenders for jump balls.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

Mel Kiper has Dee Milliner as #13 on his big board, that matches up with this pick perfectly. The Buccaneers need help at corner with Ronde Barber nearing the end of his career. They were the worst team in the NFL against the past. Milliner has exceptional raw football skills and is more physical than the average corner and can disrupt wide receivers at the line, or turn and run with them.

14. Carolina Panthers – Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

He nearly led Missouri in tackles the season as an interior lineman. Almost unheard of. He gives great effort on every play and is quick off the snap. He uses his hands to get off blocks and disrupt plays. He is a steal at this position in the draft and the Panthers will benefit from his ability to get after the ball.

15. New Orleans Saints – Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

The New Orleans Saints were horrendous on defense this past season, arguably the worst in the NFL. They need a someone to clog the middle, and since their 2008 first round pick Sedrick Ellis leaving via free agency after a disappointing season which he amassed 36 tackles, and only half a sack over the last 2 seasons. Hankins can free up the line backers to make plays, and in Vilma and Lofton the Saints have linebackers who could take advantage of Hankins clogging up the line.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Well we just saw Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy as confetti fell down. So the majority of NFL fans, 96.8% in fact, were upset that it wasn’t their team up there. But with that confetti and one city’s jubilation, hope and optimism spreads like wild fire through out the NFL as the other 96.8% of us begin to talk ourselves into believing that 2013 will be our year.

There are the usual supsects atop the odds list, the Patriots, Packers, 49ers yada yada. The interesting thing to me is how high Seattle is on this list.

The Chiefs who finished dead last in 2013 and were awarded the #1 draft pick, surprisingly, don’t have the worst odds at making it to the Super Bowl next year.

Defending Champs, the Ravens have 14-1 odds of repeating.

Here is the full listing:

• New England Patriots: 7 to 1
• San Francisco 49ers: 8 to 1
• Denver Broncos: 8 to 1
• Green Bay Packers: 10 to 1
• Houston Texans: 14 to 1
• Baltimore Ravens: 14 to 1
• Seattle Seahawks: 16 to 1
• Atlanta Falcons: 18 to 1
• New Orleans Saints: 18 to 1
• Pittsburgh Steelers: 18 to 1
• New York Giants: 20 to 1
• Washington Redskins: 30 to 1
• Dallas Cowboys: 30 to 1
• Chicago Bears: 30 to 1
• Cincinnati Bengals: 35 to 1
• Detroit Lions: 40 to 1
• Minnesota Vikings: 40 to 1
• Indianapolis Colts: 40 to 1
• San Diego Chargers: 40 to 1
• Philadelphia Eagles: 50 to 1
• Carolina Panthers: 50 to 1
• New York Jets: 50 to 1
• Miami Dolphins: 50 to 1
• St. Louis Rams: 50 to 1
• Kansas City Chiefs: 50 to 1
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 60 to 1
• Cleveland Browns: 66 to 1
• Arizona Cardinals: 100 to 1
• Buffalo Bills: 100 to 1
• Tennessee Titans: 100 to 1
• Oakland Raiders: 150 to 1
• Jacksonville Jaguars: 150 to 1

May 23, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Sean Considine (37) runs drills during the Baltimore Ravens OTA at the team practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Of course with any NFL career, it is almost impossible to avoid injuries related to the sport. In his rookie season, Sean dislocated his shoulder in a game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was later placed on injured reserve, finishing the season with 6 games started mainly on special teams, recording 8 special team tackles. The following here started to show a little more promise, starting all 16 games and finishing with a career high 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks along with 26 assisted tackles. Now being a part of the AFC Champions, playing with Ray Lewis in his final season, the home town love for this kid from our neck of the woods is full force. My own cousin, Nigel LeBlanc was also born in Dixon, Illinois. He attended the University of Southern Illinois, where he played with Super Bowl Champion and former New York Giant/San Francisco 49er Brandon Jacobs. This may not be one of my longer articles that I will write. I just wanted to shed a little light on a man who grew up within same area me and my family did. So even if you are a Warrior, Duke, Rocket, Tiger, Spartan, Comet (referring to local high school teams in the area). There is one thing we should do besides cheering for Ray Lewis or even if you are cheering against the Ravens. Show this local man some home town love. He may not have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, but he is already considered a legend in Dixon/Byron, Illinois.