Fitz Beat
By Larry Fitzgerald
For the second year in row, the NFC Championship will feature an NFC North representative. Vikings fans can hardly forget last year’s 30-27 overtime NFC title loss at New Orleans. This year the Green Bay Packers, led by red-hot Aaron Rodgers, will travel to Chicago to play the NFC North Champion Bears.
These two teams have been playing since the league started 90 years ago. They have played 180 times — one of the NFL’s biggest cities, Chicago, and the NFL’s smallest, Green Bay.
They played twice this year. Back in September the Bears prevailed 20-17; a couple of weeks ago, January 2, the Packers beat the Bears 10-3 in Green Bay to qualify for the playoffs.
Chicago leads this series 91-83-6. They have met in the playoffs only once. Sunday’s winner will be headed to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Texas.
The AFC match-up will feature the New York Jets at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets beat Pittsburgh 22-17 at Pittsburgh December 19, 2010.
Both games feature number-six seeds vs. number-two seeds. This season has been played in the shadow of a potential owners’ mandated lockout of the players. The 32 NFL owners want the players to accept an 18-percent pay cut and, starting in 2011, play an 18-game schedule. Both of those stances have been met with much opposition from the players.
Fitz Notes & Quotes
NFL 2011 playoff teams’ quarterbacks and their QB ratings: New England, Tom Brady, 111.0; Pittsburgh, Ben Rothlisberger, 97.0; New Orleans, Drew Brees, 90.9; Indianapolis, Peyton Manning, 91.9; (four these have won Super Bowls: Brady, 3; Rothlisberger, 2; and Brees and Manning one each)
Seattle, Matt Hasselbach, 73.2; Philadelphia, Michael Vick, 100.2; New York, Mark Sanchez, 75.3; Baltimore, Joe Flacco, 93.6; Chicago, Jay Cutler, 86.3; Atlanta, Matt Ryan, 91.0; Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, 101.2; Kansas City, Matt Cassel, 93.0.
Next year, 2012, the Big Ten Network will pay each school a whooping $20 million with the addition of the Football Big Ten Championship game.
The NBA Minnesota Timberwolves lead the league in rebounding at 45 per game, and they are third overall in three-point shooting at .390.
The San Antonio Spurs are off to the best start in franchise history — and remember, they have won four NBA titles. They have picked up their offensive tempo and no longer run their offense through future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan. Head Coach Gregg Popovich, in his 13th season, has coached Duncan each year and is simply one of the league’s best coaches with a winning percentage of .676.
The Spurs are 26-1 when leading after three quarters; they get ahead and stay ahead and are the NBA’s best team right now with a 33-6 record. They are scoring 105 points per game. They have swept the Timberwolves for the fourth straight year and have won 16 straight over Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are much improved and are exciting to watch. However, they continue to lose (9-30) because they are the league’s worst defensive team, allowing 108.2 points per game. That does not cut it.
They have to improve defensively and grow up and commit defensively to helping each other and remain patient as an organization. They have two potential All-Star-caliber players with Kevin Love averaging 21.2 points and the NBA’s leading rebounder at 15.7, and Michael Beasley averaging 21.3 per game.
The Timberwolves are better mentally in part because of the hard work of team psychologist Dr. Yolanda Brooks, who has worked with this team the last couple of years on being positive in their approach.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday-Friday at 12:17 pm and 4:17 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.
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