While the AFC conference in the NFL has been flashier and higher powered with the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, etc. running the show, the NFC has quietly taken its place as the dominant conference in the NFL. The reining Super Bowl champs hail from the NFC, and after the beat-down the favorite Broncos took from the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII, the NFC will look to continue being an underdog powerhouse going into the 2014-2015 NFL season. Here is a breakdown of all 16 NFC teams and how the standing will look like when the season is all said and done:

Will Dree Brees lead the Saints to a trip back to the White House in 2015?

NFC West:

Seattle Seahawks: The only thing the Seahawks have to worry about in the 2014-2015 season is not having a Super Bowl hangover as most teams do after winning it all. Look for the Seahawks to be right back where they were last season, atop the NFC West and looking to be the first team to repeat since the Patriots back in 2005.

Record: 11-5, winning tie-breaker for division title

San Francisco 49ers: One of the most talked-about teams in sports, especially after the huge contract that was given to quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers are one of the deeper teams in the NFL and given the way they have played the last few seasons, I look for this to finally be the year the team breaks through and plays to its capability for a full season. The loss to the Seahawks in the NFC title game should motivate them and having Navarro Bowman back should add a spark to the boys from the bay.

Record: 11-5

Arizona Cardinals: One of the more surprising teams from last season, the Cardinals won 10 games and even so, missed the playoffs. Signing veterans Antonio Cromartie and Ted Ginn Jr should add some firepower to this team and they will look to build on a strong season but it will all depend on quarterback, Carson Palmer. Throughout his career he has been very Jekyll and Hyde with his year-by-year performances. Because Palmer can’t be relied-upon, I believe the Cardinals will take a step back this season.

Record: 8-8

St. Louis Rams: The Rams are one of the most underrated teams in the NFL — especially on the defensive side of the ball. They pose a tremendous threat at almost every defensive position and will make it hard for teams to score. The one question I have about the Rams is whether or not Sam Bradford can finally step up and be the leader that when he was drafted first overall, everyone thought he could be. Running back, Zac Stacy, quietly became one of the better backs in football, so look for the Rams to improve on their 7-9 record from last season in a division where no teams finish under .500.

Record: 8-8

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles: Coming into the 2013-2014 season, people expected Chip Kelly and the Eagles to excel but maybe not at the pace that they did. Nick Foles took over the reigns at quarterback and led the Eagles to the playoffs. The Eagles are a very good team and will be back to the playoffs again in 2014-2015, looking to make an even longer playoff run.

Record: 11-5, division winner

New York Giants: After going 0-6 to start the season, the Giants stumbled back and finished with a respectable 7-9 record. It seems as if every season, the Giants either win the Super Bowl or miss the playoffs and everyone freaks out. That being said, the Giants won’t be making the playoffs this season again but will play better than they did last season.

Record: 8-8

Washington Redskins: RGIII, RGIII, RGIII. Finally, the Redskins got rid of Mike Shanahan, a move that is loved by many fans. Now maybe the team and the owner will change the name but that’s a story for a different time. Adding DeSean Jackson will make the Redskins’ offense more explosive and having an assumed healthy RGIII will solidify the team but the defense is still bad. That isn’t going to change so the Redskins will still be searching for answers, this time with new coach Jay Gruden who I’m not completely sold on as an NFL coach.

Record: 6-10 

Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo. Jerry Jones. No defense? Need I say more?

Record: 5-11

NFC North:

Green Bay Packers: After an injury-riddled season for Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were still able to make the playoffs and almost beat the 49ers. Adding a fully-healthy Rodgers back into the fold, look for the Packers to be back at full strength and win the division yet again.

Record: 10-6, division winner

Chicago Bears: After missing the playoffs again, the Bears went out and tried to fix their defensive problems. They added veteran Jared Allen from the rival Vikings, which should spark the defense and give them a leader again. On the offensive side of the ball, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte should be enough to carry them. As long as this team stays healthy and plays to the level they should be able to play at they should once again reach the postseason, but only barely.

Record: 9-7

Detroit Lions: The Lions do have Calvin Johnson who has basically become an unstoppable force, but that’s not enough. Matthew Stafford keeps throwing interceptions and although the Lions defense on paper looks good, they actually aren’t as good as advertised. The Lions will probably start hot again and fizzle out like they do almost every season.

Record: 8-8

Minnesota Vikings: The is the one team with a new first time head coach that I am excited about. Mike Zimmer is a genius and will get his players to perform at levels they never thought possible. Even with Zimmer’s leadership, the Vikings will be at the bottom of the standings again. Adrian Peterson isn’t enough and I didn’t like the pickup of Teddy Bridgewater, but I hope he proves me wrong. The future is bright in Minnesota, just not this upcoming season.

Record: 5-11

NFC South:

New Orleans Saints: Ahh the Saints. They are the team who almost went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks in the playoffs and if fate had changed, the Broncos might be the champs. The Saints are going to be the Saints — very good at home and pretty good on the road. Until Drew Brees declines or retires, the Saints will contend.

Record: 12-4, division winner

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It might be a surprise to some people but I like the Bucs in 2014. I love the signing of Lovie Smith as coach. Smith was fired unfairly in Chicago and has another chance now in Tampa. I also loved the drafting of Mike Evans to pair with Vincent Jackson to make for the tallest wide receiver duo in the NFL. Adding Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner on defense creates potential for a great defense. Quarterback, Josh McCown, will look to continue his surge from Chicago and transfer it over to Tampa.

Record: 9-7

Carolina Panthers: After winning the division last season, the Panthers are poised to gain from their success but much like the Cardinals, I am not fully-sold on them. Don’t get me wrong, I was on the Carolina train last season but that was until they lost all their receivers and didn’t do much to replace them. They added Jerrico Cotchery from the Steelers and drafted Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State but will that be enough for Cam Newton. The defense is still strong but it remains to be seen if they were a one-year wonder. It happens all the time in the NFL.

Record: 8-8

Atlanta Falcons: A Super Bowl favorite prior to last season, the Falcons completely collapsed last year. Injuries and lack of experience on defense led to this so the Falcons will look to regain some of that winning form. A Super Bowl isn’t for them this season but they might have a shot at the playoffs might be if they can stay healthy.

Record: 7-9

Playoff Standings:

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Green Bay Packers
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Chicago Bears (week 12 meeting will determine this)

In contention: Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions

After going 13-3 and basically steamrolling through the AFC on the way to the Super Bowl, the Broncos were in for a rude awaking in the biggest game of the year. Not only did they lose to the Seahawks but they got manhandled in every aspect of the sport. They were beat up at the line of scrimmage and were just flat-out beaten down all over the field. It was a very bitter end to a very strong season for the Broncos organization and their fans. Any knowledgeable fan or executive of the NFL knows that Peyton Manning’s his Hall of Fame career is coming to an end soon. Like last season, the time is now to try and win another Super Bowl and the Broncos seem to be willing to do whatever it takes.

Time is running out for Peyton Manning to add another Super Bowl title to his legendary career. By Jeffrey Beall [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Boy, we were all wrong.

First they signed ex-New England Patriot Aqib Talib, stealing him away from the rival Patriots and adding to a secondary that was questionable in 2013. Next up was Cleveland Browns safety T.J Ward who, despite playing for the lowly Browns, put up very consistent numbers.

Replacing wideout Eric Decker (who left Denver for the Jets), the Broncos signed Emmanuel Sanders, who will add to an already explosive offensive attack. Finally and in my opinion the biggest splash the Broncos made was signing defensive end, DeMarcus Ware after the Cowboys cut him. Ware may not be the player that he once was because of injuries, but he is still a defensive force and having him and Von Miller lining up next to each other should put fear into opposing offenses.

The Broncos were criticized heavily for their average defense in 2013. With all the moves they’ve made, they might have built a defense that is just as scary if not scarier than their offense. People thought that the Eagles built a “super team” a few seasons ago but they were wrong; the Broncos have built a “super team.”

With time running out for Manning, the Broncos’ front office knew that they needed to make moves that would win Number 18 a title now. The moves they have made this offseason sure look as if the Broncos are seriously going for it all. If you thought last season was a let-down for the Broncos, imagine if the same result happens. Anything short of a Super Bowl victory for the Broncos will be considered a complete failure. I’m sure it’s right where Peyton wants to be.

As many of us found out yet again in Super Bowl XLVIII, defense wins championships. Far too often, fans and analysts of the NFL forget about the defensive side of the ball and solely put their focus on flashy offense. As a viewer I understand why, but let’s not forget about the old fashioned style of football that the great game once was known for. I’ve heard people call this past Super Bowl a “boring” one. Yes it was a blowout and wasn’t as intense as previous games but it was a complete and utter show of domination by the Seahawks. To me, dominating play is anything but boring.

Seattle and its Legion Of Boom are the Super Bowl Champions, and rightfully so after their domination of the Broncos. By Mike Morris, via Wikimedia Commons

Seattle showed why they were the best team all season long and they deserved their Super Bowl victory. People doubted them all year because of their “mediocre” offense and their supposed inability to win away from Seattle. They lost only two games away from Seattle this season, both being in the final seconds of the game (at Indianapolis and at San Francisco) so I don’t understand where this myth comes from about them not being able to win on the road.

Lets also not forget who they beat en route to the title — Drew Brees, Colin Kaepernick and Peyton Manning. They held all three teams under 20 points and I would say that is a pretty impressive feat to accomplish.

But until they pulled off what might go down as the most dominant performance in a Super Bowl in history, the numbers didn’t speak that loudly. People wondered what would happen against one of the best quarterbacks of our generation playing his best football.

What their defense was able to do against Denver is incredible. The Legion of Boom and the rest of the Seahawks are now the champions and will be until someone else dethrones them next season. That might be easier said than done though, as the Seahawks are a very young, talented and now experienced team that could be on the verge of a potential dynasty if they make all the right moves as they have done in the past. Defense, not offense wins championships, and the Seahawks reminded everyone of that once again.

Richard Sherman. Over the last few days, Sherman’s name has been all over the headlines in the sports world and for good reason after the Seahawks ousted the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers to advance to their first Super Bowl since 2005.

On the last play of the game, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to test Sherman, the best cornerback in the NFL, by throwing a pass towards the end zone trying to find Michael Crabtree for what would have been the go ahead touchdown with under 30 seconds left. It was the first time all game that Kaepernick decided to throw towards the all pro cornerback and I bet Colin is regretting it now.

Richard Sherman is stirring up the headlines after the NFC Championship game. By Jeffrey Beall (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Everybody knows that Sherman is a fiery competitor but nobody expected that kind of a post game interview. In the days following the game, people have had mixed feelings towards Sherman’s interview. Some have called him a thug and some have praised him for him emotion and love of the game. Sherman even wrote about it himself.

After I watched the interview live, my initial reaction was strictly wow. I couldn’t believe what I had heard, I couldn’t believe that he called Crabtree a “sorry receiver,” yet I loved every minute of it. I rewound the interview many times to make sure I heard it all correctly and never for a second did I not enjoy it. I’ve had a few days to think it all over and my thoughts are the same as they were when everything happened live. Good for Sherman. Too many times in sports nowadays players get scrutinized for simply being passionate and showing emotion. What is so wrong with a player showing emotion after a huge play or win as long as it doesn’t physically hurt someone or isn’t so inappropriate that it offends people everywhere? We forget that the players we all love to watch and admire are still human and they are just like us just with gifted athletic abilities.

I love everything about what Sherman did and said and for the people who have a problem with it then those are the ones who shouldn’t be watching sports. Sports leagues, especially the NFL, need more players like Sherman who aren’t afraid to speak their minds and show emotion. The rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers has become the most heated in the NFL and after the NFC Championship game, it looks as if it will stay that way for a long time.

Now, let’s wait and see if Sherman calls Peyton Manning a “sorry quarterback” after the Super Bowl. That, I think, would be a little bigger story.

Coming into the 2013-2014 NFL season, many people expected that at least some version of the last four teams standing would be the Broncos, Seahawks, Patriots and 49ers. Most years, it doesn’t happen where the projected final four actually make it due to a magical run from a dark horse or incredible unforeseen season. But this year it has happened and for the NFL that is a very good thing.

AFC Championship

Can Tom Brady lead the Patriots to another Super Bowl win? First he will have to go through Peyton Manning and Denver. By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA (Tom Brady) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

For Brady and the Patriots a win could mean an incredible feat of reaching the Super Bowl for a sixth time despite all the injuries and poor play from Brady throughout the season. For Manning, this game could make or break his legacy based off his previous playoff struggles.

NFC Championship

On the NFC side of things, the championship showcases two of the most exciting and best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Colin Kaepernick has already made it to the Super Bowl in his short career and Russell Wilson is looking to add to his impressive resume. Over the last few seasons, Seattle vs. San Francisco has become arguably the most heated rivalry in the NFL so it is only fitting that they meet for the NFC crown. Kaepernick and the 49ers have had their recent struggles playing in Seattle so it will be interesting to see how they respond in the NFC Title game.

No matter which two teams win this weekend, Super Bowl XLVIII will be a battle of new vs old. Either way the NFL and its fans will benefit from the matchup.

Who do you think will be in the Super Bowl?

It’s never too early for predictions, especially when it comes to the pre draft NFL. In the upcoming draft, each team will make selections to try and help their current rosters make a run at the Super Bowl. Although the rosters for the start of the season won’t be complete until much later in the year, it’s still fun to look at what each team has done up to this point and make predictions for what will happen. Here are my predictions for the upcoming NFL season, pre NFL draft:

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will take the next step and beat out the NFC champion 49ers in 2013. By Larry Maurer, via Wikimedia Commons

NFC West:

1. Seattle Seahawks: If not for a collapse in the playoff game against the Falcons, they might have made an incredible run towards the Super Bowl last season and I expect the Seahawks to improve. With the additions of Percy Harvin and Cliff Avril, they are legitimate contenders. They basically stole the Vikings receiving duo in Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin and now look poised to be a force. It starts with a division title in 2013.
2. San Francisco 49ers: The defending NFC champions got even better on paper with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Nnamdi Asomugha. They will still be a dominant force because of their defense but I believe that teams will start to figure out Colin Kaepernick. He showed me a lot in the Super Bowl as a rookie and hopefully, for ‘Niner fans, that experience makes him better. For now, though, I’m picking the Seahawks as the best team in this division.
3. St. Louis Rams: The Rams are a good young team that is improving each year and 2013 won’t be any different. Except this year they won’t have Danny Amendola, who was a huge factor on offense for them but look for them to build upon a decent year and look to improve their players and gain more experience to try and get back to the playoffs in a year or two.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Arizona started 4-0 last season and look liked a legit sleeper team in the NFC but then dropped 11 of their next 12 games. They added Carson Palmer, who should help the offense some. But unless 2005 Carson Palmer arrives in Arizona, the Cardinals will be at the bottom of the standings again, which is sad for a franchise that made it to the Super Bowl just five years ago.

NFC South:

1. Atlanta Falcons: The dirty birds were the best team in the NFL last season and if not for a bad non holding call, would have probably made the Super Bowl. This year’s Falcons look to finally improve on a year where they actually won a playoff game. The additions of Stephen Jackson and Osi Umenyiora plus the return of Tony Gonzalez will help the Falcons be legitimate title contenders once again.
2. New Orleans Saints: After looking dead in the water early in the season, the Saints somehow went 7-9 and I believe if the season was longer would have snuck into the playoffs. Getting Sean Peyton back this year will greatly improve the team and I expect them to get back into the playoffs. Some people think that Peyton was the cause for the bizarre blackout in the Super Bowl so maybe he is out for revenge against the NFL and the best way to start that is by making the postseason.
3. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton has gotten much scrutiny over his two years and I’m not quite sure why. He hasn’t had a good team around him in either year and still the Panthers have been 7-9 both seasons. Get some good players around him and good things will happen. I am a huge fan of Newton no matter what the newest college football scandal is. That being said, the Panthers are the third-best team in the South.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin was a pleasant surprise for the Bucs last season but he can’t do everything on offense. The Buccaneers went 7-9 last year but I still think they are the worst team in this division, which is an understatement since this is such a good division in my opinion. Josh Freeman has potential but he needs to leave the Bucs in order for it to show, he isn’t the quarterback for this team and the sooner the front office realizes that the better for them.

NFC North:

1. Green Bay Packers: Even with the departures of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, the Packers will still be a force in the NFC. After all, they have Aaron Rodgers, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They had a disappointing end to their seasons the last two years and I believe they will be back to try and reclaim their dominance in the NFC.
2. Chicago Bears: How many teams fire their head coach after going 10-6? That’s exactly what the Bears did by firing Lovie Smith. The Bears aren’t a bad team and with Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall on offense, the Bears will still be a force. Unfortunately for ‘da Bears, they play in the NFC where there are too many good teams and the Bears just can’t keep up with the higher-powered offenses they’ll have to face. Still, this should be a good year for the loyal Chicago fans, at least in the regular season.
3. Detroit Lions: I am not quite sure what happened last year the Lions; I mean, they finally made the playoffs two years ago, then followed it up with a 4-12 record last season. It makes no sense. Then again it is the Lions. Matthew Stafford still has the best receiver in all of football in Calvin Johnson, who to this day is the only player that can claim to have broken the famous “Madden Curse”. The Lions will contend for a while, but won’t have enough to go back to the playoffs.
4. Minnesota Vikings: This might be the most surprising part of these predictions since the Vikings made the playoffs last year but I believe that the trade of Percy Harvin really hurt the Vikings. It takes away speed on offense and a return game. Adrian Peterson is an absolute monster on the field and he will keep the Vikings relevant next season but it won’t be enough to make an encore trip to the playoffs. They are the cellar dwellers in the NFC North.

NFC East:

1. New York Giants: I think last season was just a hardcore case of a Super Bowl hangover and the Giants will be back and ready next year. Eli Manning is a baller and will have this team ready to contend again. Fans of New York, don’t worry you won’t have to wait another year to see your team in the playoffs… unless you are Jet fans….
2. Philadelphia Eagles: A lot of people have been calling me crazy recently because I believe that the Eagles will actually improve a lot this season and be back near the top of the standings. Chip Kelly will make a big difference, especially on a team with so much talent as the Eagles. Injuries killed this team last year. At the beginning of the 2012 season, they looked poised to finally become the dominant team we have been expecting since Michael Vick joined the Eagles. Maybe they get close to that in 2013.
3. Washington Redskins: Congratulations to all the accomplishments of the Redskins last season but that’s last season. Robert Griffin III is one of my favorite players in the NFL, but his injury in the playoffs looked pretty bad. Like the 49ers’ Kaepernick, I think that teams will start to figure his game out. If RGIII can change his game up, it would not only confuse teams but also help prolong his career. I am going out on a limb here by saying the Redskins regress some and finish third in the division.
4. Dallas Cowboys: America’s Team? Not anymore. If anything, they have become a team that most people like to watch lose. Tony Romo got a huge contract after only winning one playoff game in his career, which had lots of football fans, including me, questioning this franchise. I don’t see the Cowboys ending the season at the bottom of the NFL standings, just at the bottom of this division’s standings.

Division Winners:

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

NFC East: New York Giants

Wild Card Teams: San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints (Notable other teams: Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions)

Playoff Bracket:

1. Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
2. Seattle Seahawks (11-5, own tiebreaker over San Francisco)
3. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
4. New York Giants (9-7)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-5)
6. New Orleans Saints (9-7)

6 New Orleans Saints @ 3 Green Bay Packers: (Packers 34-31)

5 San Francisco 49ers @ 4 New York Giants: (49ers 27-14)

5 San Francisco 49ers @ 1 Atlanta Falcons: (Falcons 28-24)

3 Green Bay Packers @ 2 Seattle Seahawks: (Seahawks 35-28)

AFC Championship Game:

2 Seattle Seahawks @ 1 Atlanta Falcons: (Falcons 27-24)

AFC Champions: Atlanta Falcons

The 2012 NFL rookie class has proven to be one of the better draft classes in recent years, with players like Trent Richardson, Alfred Morris, Doug Martin, Justin Blackmon and Ryan Tannehill just to name a few. Many teams this season have relied heavily on the players they selected back in April and many of them have produced. But three quarterbacks have stood out consistently all season long, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson have all proven they can be successful in the league and made their cases for the 2012 Rookie of the Year award. Here is my breakdown of each player’s season and my choice for who I would vote for in the award race if I actually could vote for it:

Russell Wilson defied expectations and helped launch the Seahawks into the playoffs. By Larry Maurer [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins: Selected second overall in the 2012 NFL draft, Griffin led the Redskins to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth after the team went 5-11 last season. He went 258-393 in his passing attempts with a completion percentage of 65.6 and threw for 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 815 yards and seven touchdowns.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: Selected 75^th overall in the 2012 NFL draft, Wilson led the Seahawks to a 11-5 record after the team went 7-9 last year. He went 252-393 in passing attempts with a completion rating of 64.1 and threw for 3,118 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Also he rushed for 489 yards and four touchdowns.

Each one of these players has played well enough to win the award. The fact that all three of their teams are in the playoffs is amazing. But the award can only go to one of them and my pick for the 2012 Rookie of the Year award goes to Russell Wilson of the Seahawks. For me it was a tough decision between him and RG III. Wilson is surely the underdog in this race, but I think he deserves the award over Luck and RGIII because of where he was drafted and the numbers he has put up. He had more touchdowns than both Luck and RGIII and still only managed 10 interceptions throughout the year. Plus his completion percentage is only 1.5 points below RGIII, which is astonishing.

Without the lone tie-game of the season, the Seahawks might have taken the NFC West from the 49ers and earned a first round bye. Wilson and RGIII are meeting up in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in what could be a great game with two great quarterbacks. Taking nothing away from Luck or RGIII but we all knew what to expect from them being the first and second picks in the draft but Wilson had to earn his starting spot in training camp and he proved that the decision to start him was the best move the Seahawks could have made all season.

Jest aside: things be a shakin’ in the NFL landscape.

Fault line players like Donovan McNabb and Nnamdi Asomugha headline the extravaganza.

Unproven yet dangerous others: Braylon Edwards, Matt Hasselbeck, Santonio Holmes, Kevin Kolb, Sydney Rice, Cedric Benson and Ronnie Brown round out this off-seasons flea market.

Toss in Kevin Orton, who’s become a sudden trade bit available, or the enigma of Vince Young, and the quarterback position is stronger than ever. Here are the top five splashes at the quarterback position. 

1: Vince Young, 28 Years Old, 6 Year Veteran

The man sobbing at the front looks like GW with two lazy eyes and elfish shaped ears. Woman to the left: Palin with a mustache. We are all self confessed a-hole’s in need of rose colored glasses.

Honestly, I hate crowds, OC tans, mini foo foo dogs (side note: I was forcibly led to love one name Mindy, a “Morkie”. And over time this petite Falcore looking ragamuffin has worn on me with her shag cuteness and constant barrage of licks.) and think the tea party was written by the deaf and blind.

But I learned a good lesson this last Friday at the nearby Judaic Worship and Cultural Center, listening to Holocaust survivor Helena Weinrauch speak about her horrendous experience with calm, insight, honesty, and yet still, an appreciation for humanity. Read her story here.

It is evident, Sir’ Paul McCartney and Lennon were prophetically clear and righteously on to something, when they wrote their harpischord ballad, “all you need is love.”

Yes the intangible of love–a boundless entity without shape or size. The fleck of feeling that with it’s heart-like tempo, can turn a grainy sun scorched and expression-less skyline, to a swirling majesty; an art painting of the surreal; a smeary energetic dream; a dozen wind waifed butterflies bobbing like yo-yo’s over a fist of emerald grass.

The older I get, now approaching a pre-midlife crisis at twenty-nine, seven months and counting, I come into agreement with love and its power to transform the lens in which I view things. The American culture is built on a white and black paradigm of belief structure. Right or wrong dominate our upbringings. But they now lilt in the exposure generations x, y, and z have had with the riverine nature of relativity. Nothing is black, nothing is white. Grey is the chic’ fashion forward.  

And i’m wearing it: the cloth of Love. Not guns, racism, greed, but love.

The bond shared between my cousin and I as we shoot text back and forth in regards to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. He is a believer, and I, a cynical realist jab through stereophonic air waves.

Laker hater. You just hate it when the Lakers win–Cousin Chad

No! I don’tare when the Lakers win. I am not a Laker hater because Pau saved Kobe’s career. If that makes me a Laker hater, than so be it.–Me

The seam that ties together unity, bonds the sinner to the saint, christens society with an infatuate need for universal brother and sisterhood, is love.

I think Kobe Bryant is a phenomenal player.

And an un-phenomenal person.

Do I wish him any harm? Absolutely not. Is losing harmful? No. How about jumping a car, only to clip your feet, flip in a circle, land on your back, and get paralyzed? Is that harmful?

I love him.

God that’s gross.

So I try like this, re-enacting the famous scene in Jerry Maguire when I, Renee Zelweger, confess my need for Kobe, Tom Cruise.

After Kobe’s deep serenading poem of appreciation, I pause. My eyes crystal over, and my lower lip begins to twitch erratically (which means love is overwhelming my feminine bosom) and I whisper, “you had me at hello.”

It is the fakest job done in Hollyweird. I sound like a mumbling Vin Diesel.

Which is why you met me at A-hole’s Anonymous in the first place. I want to get over this thing.

Step one) Admit your are an a-hole. Check. Step two) Make a mends with those whom you’ve harmed. Che…..ck.

When you found me, I was wallowing in another Laker grind it out victory. No matter how cutely Chris Paul sliced and diced the Laker defense, Kobe found ways to win with his classicaly killer instinct. This according to Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, is going into beas’ mo’. Which if translated into correct English, means beast mode.

I am giving up on the a-hole way of living. It is cold hearted and cruel. The very man I love to see lose, got swept by a Mark Cuban Mavs team built from the ground up.

But it did not make me feel any better.

This time I languished in my childish banter. I am turning over a new leaf. I care about sports, but obviously not enough any longer.

From this day forward you will never (never say never) hear another anti-Kobe statement from me. In fact mark this down: dude is top fifteen of all-time. No, make that twelve.

I need to get back to church: drink wine and fill myself with the charity of their crackers. Oops, scratch that.