Editor's Note: Vick Should Count His Blessings

Moral outrage has ensued after it was suggested that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might levy a six-game suspension on Michael Vick. Many people are crying that Vick has paid his debt to society with his jail time, and any further punishment is unecesarry and cruel. Vick should consider himself lucky the NFL has not banned him from the sport for good. Pete Rose gambles and is removed permanently from baseball. Vick commits a federal crime, but he deserves a second chance. He knew dogfighting was illegal, but continued to orchestrate fighting rings anyway. He was well aware of the consequences he might endure if caught. Playing football is not a right, but a privilege. Nothing's stopping him from getting a job somewhere else. He could work at McDonald's, get a job as a bank teller, or even (my personal favorite) become a mailman. The fact that Vick can come back to the game so many work so hard to play is evidence enough he was let off easy. He made his bed, and now he won't have to sleep in it.

NFL Draft: Day Two

More Trojans were selected in the second day of the NFL Draft.

David Buehler, K: Dallas Cowboys, Round 5, pick 36
Kevin Ellison, S: San Diego Chargers, Round 6, pick 16
Cary Harris, CB: Buffalo Bills, Round 6, pick 10
Kaluka Maiava, ILB: Cleveland Browns, Round 4, pick 4
Kyle Moore, DE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Round 4, pick 17
Patrick Turner, WR: Miami Dolphins, Round 3, pick 23

NFL Draft: Sanchez goes Broadway

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Jets traded DE Kenyon Coleman, DB Abram Elam, QB Brett Ratliff, a first-round pick (17th overall) and a second-round pick (52nd) to the Cleveland Browns for the fifth overall first-round pick. With that pick, the Jets selected USC QB Mark Sanchez to fill the void left by the retired Brett Favre. Sanchez was an underclassman who caught the football world off-guard when he announced he would leave USC and enter the draft. Other Trojans joined Sanchez in the first-round of the draft: the Houston Texans used their 15th pick to select linebacker Brian Cushing, and the Green Bay Packers acquired the New England Patriots' 26th overall pick to select Clay Matthews.

Overall first-round picks in this year's NFL Draft:

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Wake Forest
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
4. Seattle Seahawks: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
5. New York Jets (from Cleveland): Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OL, Alabama
7. Oakland Raiders: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Green Bay Packers: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
10. San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Buffalo Bills: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
12. Denver Broncos: Knowshon Moreno, TB, Georgia
13. Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
14. New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
15. Houston Texans: Brian Cushing, LB, USC
16. San Diego Chargers: Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New York Jets through Cleveland): Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): Robert Ayers, LB, Tennessee
19. Philadelph Eagles (from Tampa Bay through Cleveland): Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas): Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
21. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia): Alex Mack, C, California
22. Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
23. Baltimore Ravens (from New England): Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
24. Atlanta Falcons: Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
25. Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
26. Green Bay Packers (from Baltimore through New England): Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
27. Indianapolis Colts: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
28. Buffalo Bills (from Carolina through Philadelphia): Eric Wood, C, Louisville
29. New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
30. Tennessee Titans: Kenny Brit, WR, Rutgers
31. Arizona Cardinals: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

The Cleveland Browns surprised many people by trading their fifth overall pick to New York, then trading the 17th overall pick they received for the 21st pick from Tampa Bay. The first overall pick lost most of its impact after Stafford came to an agreement with Detroit on Friday. The Jets stood out as the main winner of the draft, trading up to acquire Mark Sanchez after Seattle opted for Aaron Curry. Most of the highly regarded Trojan defenders fell out of favor, with Rey Maualuga not being chosen until the second round by Cincinnati. The Colts used their 56th overall pick to sign USC-alumni Fili Moala, a defensive tackle.

NFC Prevails Over AFC

The National Football Conference defeated the American Football Conference in the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl 30-21. WR Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals was named MVP of the game. Fitzgerald caught for 81 yards and two touchdowns. QBs Drew Brees of New Orleans and Eli Manning of New York each threw a touchdown for the NFC, and RB Adrian Peterson of Minnesota ran for 48 yards and a TD. Peyton Manning of Indianapolis threw for 151 yards and a TD for the AFC, and Kerry Collins of Tennessee had 108 yards and a TD as well.

Steelers Close Curtain on Arizona's Dream

In the Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 on game-winning drive engineered by Ben Roethlisberger. But before we get to that, here's a look at key events that took place:

Coin Flip: Arizona won, but for the first time in Super Bowl history, deferred to Pittsburgh. The Steelers elected to receive.

1st Quarter: Ben Roethlisberger finishes the opening drive with a rushing touchdown, but an Arizona challenge over-rules the score, and forces the Steelers to take a field goal for a 3-0 lead.

2nd Quarter: The Cardinals tried to power their way back into the game after a Gary Russell TD run put the Steelers up 10-0. Kurt Warner threw to Ben Patrick for a touchdown, after Patrick never had a touchdown all season. As the Cards looked poised to tie or take the lead with 18 seconds left on the 1 yard line, a Warner pass to Anquan Boldin was intercepted by James Harrison, who returned the pick for 100 yards and a TD, putting Pittsburgh up 17-7 at halftime.

3rd Quarter: The Steelers held down Arizona, forcing 3 penalties that cost the Cards 35 yards. Pittsburgh scored on a field goal to pull ahead 20-7.

4th Quarter: The comeback was on as Kurt Warner threw to Larry Fitzgerald to make it a one possession game with a 20-14 score. After getting into Steeler territory, the Cards were forced to punt, and pinned Pittsburgh down inside the 1-yard line. On 3rd and 10, Roethlisberger appeared to throw for what could have been a 1st down. However, one of his lineman was called for holding, resulting in an automatic safety for Arizona. With the extra 2 points and possession of the ball, Arizona completed an incredible drive with a 64 yard pass from Warner to Fitzgerald to take a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left. However, the Steelers came back, and Roethlisberger completed a shoe-string catch to Santonio Holmes for a game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds left. Arizona had one last chance to try to win the game, but Warner fumbled as he tried to throw a Hail-Mary, ending the game.

Roethlisberger threw for 256 yards and 1 TD, while Warner had 377 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both QB's threw a pick, but Warner's was clearly more devastating. Holmes was the Super Bowl MVP with 9 receptions and 131 yards with the game-winning catch. Fitzgerald finished with 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. Next week the football season concludes with the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Editor's Note: LA Must Be More Than Pricey Poker Chip

As the San Diego Chargers struggles to discover its identity after going 8-8, snatching a playoff berth from the hands of Denver, and defeating the Colts in the wild-card round, LA's position in this debacle is becoming less and less clear. The Bolts have made a deal with the Wasserman Media Group to market Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and all the other Chargers to Los Angeles and Orange County. CBS chose to broadcast every Chargers game it carried in LA, instead of using the "Game of the Week" airing program. Now, as Ed Roski has passed the first hurdle to build new stadium in the City of Industry as the city's council voted to back the stadium's construction. All signs point to an eventual move for the Chargers. But is that where this is going? LA could merely be a bargaining chip, and the timing couldn't be better. The Bolts are having serious problems with the city of San Diego, with the status of Qualcomm Stadium under heavy scrutiny. The Chargers want the city to fix the problems with a new stadium, but if it can't, they can conveniently move down the 5 freeway to build a home in LA. If Los Angeles wants to be more than just a vague threat, this new stadium needs to be built. That way, there will be no more questions, doubts, or what if's. Any bluffs will lose considerable strength, as with no waiting for a stadium, teams can come whenever they feel like it. Teams will either move, or they won't. But at least the people of LA will know for sure where to go if any team does come.

Editor's Note: Leinart & Polamalu Are Worlds Apart

When Trojan QB Matt Leinart (above) won his Heisman Trophy in 2004, he probably couldn't have thought that he would be in the Super Bowl four years later. However, if he did imagine it, he certainly didn't think that he would be on the bench. After all, this is a guy who started in two national championship games with USC. But with Kurt Warner's emergence as Arizona's shining star, Leinart has no where else to go but the bench. And that seems to be the exact opposite of the situation with former USC safety Troy Polamalu (right). Despite all of his accomplishments and achievements, Polamalu left school after 2002, all before the glory years under Pete Carroll. He never had the chance to compete for National Titles or BCS championships. Now that he's a Steeler however, Polamalu has the opportunity to become a two-time champion, just like Leinart had in 2005. While Leinart can only watch from the sidelines after spending his entire college career playing in big games, Polamalu has his opportunity to be in games he never could while at USC.

NFL Conference Championship

The NFL Conference Championships have concluded, and the teams have been determined for Super Bowl XLIII. They are as follows:

NFC: ARIZONA def. PHILADELPHIA 32-25

AFC: PITTSBURGH def. BALTIMORE 23-14

Arizona has seen a tremendous resurrection of their franchise, and will become the first 9-win team to compete in the Super Bowl. The Cardinals crushed a serious Philadelphia comeback, and Kurt Warner padded his Hall-of-Fame resume with 279 yards. Larry Fitzgerald (below) also made his mark in Phoenix, receiving 152 yards with 3 touchdowns. However, the win over the Eagles was mired in controversy, as Kevin Curtis was roughed up by a Cardinal defender while trying to make a catch, and subsequently dropped the ball. Some believe that defensive pass interference should have been called, while others explain that there was not enough contact to warrant DPI. The Steelers broke through Baltimore's stifling defense, as Ben Roethlisberger (above) threw for 255 yards and a touchdown. Following a bye week, the Steelers and the Cardinals will duke it out in Tampa Bay to determine the next champion of the NFL.

NFL Divisional Round

The NFL divisional rounds have concluded, and these are the results:

ARIZONA def. CAROLINA 33-13
BALTIMORE def. TENNESSEE 13-10
PHILADELPHIA def. NEW YORK 23-11
PITTSBURGH def. SAN DIEGO 35-24

This round of the playoffs saw 3 out of 4 top-seeds fall out of contention, including the Super Bowl Champion N.Y. Giants. San Diego saw the end of their Cinderella story, while Arizona saw its own story continue. A big controversy hit the Titans-Ravens game, as the referees did not call a delay-of-game when Baltimore's play-clock hit zero during their game-winning drive. Pittsburgh's Willie Parker (above) continues his Steeler legacy, as he rushed for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Eli Manning's (left) legacy hit a snag as he went 15-for-29 with 2 interceptions. Next week is the AFC and NFC Conference championships, with the Ravens going to Pittsburgh and the Eagles flying into Arizona.

NFL Wild Card Round

The NFL's wild-card round has concluded, with four teams moving on to the divisional playoffs. Here are the results and next week's matchups:

SAN DIEGO def. INDIANAPOLIS 23-17 (OT) = will play PITTSBURGH
ARIZONA def. ATLANTA 30-24 = will play CAROLINA
BALTIMORE def. MIAMI 27-9 = will play TENNESSEE
PHILADELPHIA def. MINNESOTA 26-14 = will play NEW YORK


The wild-card round's Saturday games provided the most entertainment, as underdog Arizona won its first home playoff game in 61 years back when they were the Chicago Cardinals. San Diego, with the worst record (8-8) out of all teams in the playoffs, defeated the 12-4 Indianapolis Colts in overtime on a Darren Sproles 22 yard overtime touchdown run (left). The Chargers' victory has sparked a heated debate over overtime practices, as Colts QB Peyton Manning did not step foot on the field during the OT period. Some are demanding the use of a shootout, similar to college football's overtime, while others prefer the current system of first-score victory. Divisional rounds are next week, followed by conference championships, then the Super Bowl.

NFL Gets More Interesting

The NFL regular season has come to a conclusion, and the playoffs have been determined. They are as followed:
AFC
1st Seed: Tennessee
2nd Seed: Pittsburgh
3rd Seed: Miami
4th Seed: San Diego
Wild Card #1: Indianapolis
Wild Card #2: Baltimore

NFC
1st Seed: New York (Giants)
2nd Seed: Carolina
3rd Seed: Minnesota
4th Seed: Arizona
Wild Card #1: Atlanta Falcons
Wild Card #2: Philadelphia Eagles

This season was incredibly unique, seeing things that have never come together in any other season. Star receiver Plaxico Burres (below) shot himself, Detroit went 0-16, St. Louis defeated the Cowboys, but ended at 2-14, Drew Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards but failed to make the playoffs in a tough NFC South, and Brett Favre returned to football with the New York Jets, only to lose a playoff spot to the guy he kicked out: Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins (who vastly improved after going 1-15 last season). Things will be sure to stay interesting as the playoffs progress.