I wish I could say that this was a surprise but I don't that there is anyone who has watched the downfall of Whitney Houston over the last ten years that is shocked but the news of her passing.

Whitney Houston seemed meant for stardom.  With the look of a star, the voice of an angel and the poise of a seasoned celebrity, she dominated the Pop charts for years n the late 80's and early 90's.  Everything she touched, turned to gold and as an artist who was not known for edgy material, there was really no reason to think that she wouldn't age gracefully and have hits for decades to come.  We all know, it didn't happen that way.

Houston would meet Bobby Brown, and the princess unravelled before our eyes.  Her drug use became apparent, and her public appearances were ravaged with incoherent ramblings.  Her looks faded, her album sales dropped, and the woman who had it all turned into a punchline.

Tonight we will forget that, and honor one of the greatest voices we have ever heard. 

So how are we to remember Ricky Williams?  Is it as the man who was part of the dumbest draft day trade when Mike Ditka convinced the New Orleans Saints to give up their ENTIRE draft to get him?  Is it as the guy who foolishly cost himself millions by signing Master P as an agent and signed one of the dumbest deals in history.  Is it as the eccentric introvert who likely never really loved football and would rather smoke weed?  Or maybe as the man who led the NFL in rushing yards in 2002?

Maybe it is a combonation of everything.  Here is what we do know: Ricky Williams finishes his professional career with 10,000 yards and a Pro Bowl appearance.  These are good numbers and we would put him in a Hall of Good or even a Hall of What If?  He may not be a Hall of Fame Running Back, but he always entertained us.  Good luck on your next stage of life.

Ten years ago when Nipplegate happened, I missed it completely.  I was at a friend's house with six other guys and we played poker through most of the Halftime Show.  The women, came downstairs to watch the Halftime Show, but long story short, through twelve sets of unfocused eyes, Janet Jackson's left nipple was not seen by my pizza guzzling bunch.

Yesterday, it happened again.  This time I watched the game at home with my wife, who only wanted to watch the Halftime show.  This time while watching, we again missed it, this time it was the extended middle finger of M.I.A..  It may have only been on screen for half a second, yet it has set the internet a buzz with opinions.  So.....want to hear mine?

First off, let me say I thought Madonna killed it.  Many have criticized what appeared to be lip synced, but after the abuse Fergie took last year for her out of tune performance, a perfectionist like Madonna likely thought she would take the safe route.

This leads to the next statement about Madonna: since when did she start playing it safe?  Since she got old, that's when.  Look, everyone can agree that Madonna was the ultimate Pop Chameleon, and she still is.  She has now transformed herself from the Pop's Queen, to the "Queen of Pop"; a Diva that is to be looked up to and respected.  She knows she is 53, and for her to prance around in bare mid riffs would look silly (even though she has a better body than 90 percent of women half her age).  She is acting her age, and not trying to look desperatley cool; basically what i am saying is that she is entering the icon to legend stage and doing it with far more grace than we would have thought she was capable of based on her 80's persona.

Now, M.I.A. did something controversial and Madonna is no stranger to this.  Here is the difference though: when Madonna pushed the sexual bundaries, it was well crafted and considered and you could make a statement that everything had an artistic base to it.   So what does M.I.A. do on the largest stage imaginable?  A finger.  A lousy finger that has everyone offering an opinion.  Here is mine:  I am not offended by it, and I belive that goes for many of the people I associate with, but I understand why some people are.  I also like televised controversy as it makes things interesting.  

However.....this is just plain lazy.  This was the best she could do?  Is there a statement she is trying to make, because i don't see it....especially after a hologram for "World Peace" flashed shortly after the performance.  It didn't fit, it had no artistic message, nor was it interesting.  It was nothing more than an immature gesture from am acclaimed artist capable of way more than that. 

The only controversy here is that we care so much.

Super Bowl Analysis.  Since we can find that anywhere, we thought we would give our brief Hall of Fame related (and what we plan to be annual) look at three Super Bowl participants who saw their Hall of Fame stock go up, and three who we think saw enshrinement take a step back.....

Canton Stock (on the rise)

1.  Eli Manning

Obvious choice, isn't it.  Two Super Bowl rings in which he defeated Tom Brady, defeated playoff teams on the road and got better when the lights got brighter.  His ticket may be punched already.

2. Tom Coughlin

Now why isn't this being talked about more?  In both Super Bowl wins, he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy two months after many New York sportswriters were ready to catapult him out of time.  Basically, he had his team respond when he needed it the most; and how many NFL coaches have failed to do that?

3.  Michael Strahan

Serious.  Strahan is eligible next year and as a former Giant in good standing with New York; and with his role on NFL on FOX, don't be surprised that this New York Giant win, doesn't eleveate someone as likable as the former sackmaster.

Canton Stock (On the Decline)

1. Chad Ochocinco

One Super Bowl Catch, with fifteen in the regular season.  This has been an awful year for Chad, where he has been upstaged by two Tight Ends, been called out by former Patriots for not understanding the system and has been reduced to irrelevency.  It happens to them all, but at the age of 33, we thought he had more years left.  He may not.

2.  Tiki Barber

How does trashing Eli Manning look now?  The year after he retires and writes a book trashing Eli, he watched his former quarterback win a Super Bowl without him.  The year he asks to come back to the League, nobody signs him, and again the Giants win a Super Bowl.  Tiki wasn't looking good before, he looks even worse now.

3. Wes Welker

122 league leading reeptions don't mean much when you drop one that likely would have won New England the Super Bowl.

Thoughts?