Feeling Powerless?

The NFL is kind enough to give the Super Bowl participants an extra week off to prepare. Because of the intense focus and the hype, everything is heightened when the soup's on. 

Everything football related is scrutinized and over-analyzed. The teams live in the familiar structure of a 60-minute football game so that they're not distracted by all the extraneous nonsense that comes with being in the Super Bowl, and the supersized halftime. But nothing prepares you for a power delay.

Even with a 28-6 lead, playing defense on a 3rd & 13, John Harbaugh completely lost it on what looked to be an NFL rep in about the 26th minute of a 35 minute delay.

And you feel for him. Power surges and half-hour delays are forgettable tap-dances that happen at the Tad Smith Center in Oxford, Mississippi (I was there two weeks ago), not at the SuperDome during the SuperBowl. 

Meanwhile, the Niners were completely on their heels. The Jacoby Jones kick return let the air out of them coming out of halftime. But the second halftime (as it were) gave SF a chance to recharge their batteries. 

Bill Cowher on the CBS set even questioned whether they should go to Alex Smith. You wonder whether it crossed Jim Harbaugh's mind for a split-second (he seems to think about everything).

Harbaugh (Jim) didn't waver and Kaepernick was brilliant. What happened in the game's final three minutes was remarkably similar to the end of the NFC Championship game, but on the other side: wasted time on the clock, misspent timeouts, confusion right up until the end of the play clock, turnover on downs with no time left to do anything of substance. Does that about cover it?

It was also very similar, on the flip side, to San Fran's 41-34 win at New England when they blew a 28-point lead.

Congrats to the Ravens, but tomorrow on Backtime: The game's most fascinating moment, and why Jim Harbaugh is worth every cent.

An Ole Miss Hit And Run

I joke with people that if they're ever on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and draw a question about college towns, that I am your lifeline. And while every college town is unique in it's own way, there's something truly singular about Oxford, Mississippi.

There's "The Square" where the courthouse sits in the center. It's symbolic of a town that still maintains its ties to the Old South while offering a progressive education and cultural environment, channeling its most famous citizen, William Faulkner.

Nowhere is that dichotomy more evident than this street corner.

Another tug-of-war in the deep south is over the Ole Miss Rebels (former?) mascot, Colonel Reb.

While the costumed mascot has been phased out, the image still lingers all over town. To some he represents the antebellum Southern gentleman, and to some he represents the plantation/slave owner and the confederacy. It depends upon your point of view.

Does American history begin in 1865? Is the word "Rebel" too symbolic of the confederacy as well? Does Ole Miss have to change their nickname too?

The Rebels aren't the class of SEC football. The saying goes, they don't redshirt All-Americas at Ole Miss, they redshirt Miss Americas. But their football tradition is evident everywhere.

The speed limit on campus is the number of Archie Manning's retired jersey. And in the gift shop, you are just as likely to see an Eli Manning jersey, as a Michael Oher jersey. Usually offensive linemen are relegated to the shadows, but when your life is immortalized in film (The Blind Side), that changes the dynamic.

And The Grove is hands down the best tailgating spot in the country. You'll know what I mean when you get there.

And finally, the Bottletree Bakery is a must. Just off The Square, it's my favorite sandwich joint in the SEC. But it's the selection of pastries and sweets (not my thing), that got Oprah Winfrey's attention.

So there's a lot to enjoy at the University of Mississippi if you're staying for a day or two...my recommendation is to get yourself (or at least one of your children) situated for 4 years.