Volkswagen Made The Worst Super Bowl Ad (video)
I’m not Jamaican, I’m not from Minnesota and I don’t drive a Volkswagen.. but this ad made me feel uncomfortable and a little insulted.
It doesn’t even make sense.
Worst Super Bowl ad? I say yes.
Yes, Beyonce Was Amazing Last Night (video)
And face it, even if it was for 5 minutes, Destiny’s Child reunited last night and you loved it.
During her awesome –yes, it was awesome– half-time show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Beyonce Knowles was joined on stage by her former Destiny’s Child bandmates: Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland.
It was the group’s first performance together since 2007.
Beyonce, 31, opened her 13-minute set with a spirited performance of her 2003 solo hit “Crazy in Love” before launching into a rendition of “Baby Boy.”
The reunion was a huge hit with celebrities are fans.
Former American Idol Kelly Clarkson tweeted:
“Okay so …..Beyonce just killed it at the Super Bowl! Holy cow she is so hot and sang her tail off!! Destiny’s Child, SO GREAT!!”
How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris chimed in with:
“I thought Beyonce crushed it. Amazing. Though I did feel a bit bad for the poor person getting flogged by her hair at the end…”
Singer-actor Jamie Foxx:
“Thrilled 2 C @beyonce + @destinyschild doing their thing again! You feel me?”
This Year’s Best Super Bowl Commercials Are… (videos)
Not so long ago Super Bowl ads started getting almost as much attention as the game itself. And every year we rank the ones we like best, becoming a must-have water cooler topic at the office.
This year brings a great new batch, and we believe these three ads take the prize:
3. Budweiser
Damn you Budweiser…
2. Audi
1. Axe Apollo
Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore Ravens notes
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco upset both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in these playoffs, only the second quarterback to ever do that in the same postseason. Now Flacco looks to add a Super Bowl ring to his resume, not to mention increase his value with pending free agency (the Ravens will keep him, but it’s going to be expensive.). Baltimore is a 4-point underdog on WagerWeb.com.
With the Ravens playing in the Super Bowl, this is the seventh time in the past eight seasons in which a team that played in the Wild Card round has advanced to the Super Bowl. The win at New England marked the sixth road playoff victory for Flacco, the most in NFL history. His eight postseason wins are tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the second-most in a quarterback’s first five NFL seasons, trailing only Brady (nine).
Flacco leads the NFL in the playoffs with a 114.7 passer rating, which includes eight touchdowns and no interceptions. In NFL postseason history, the only quarterbacks to finish a postseason with at least nine touchdowns and no interceptions are former 49ers quarterbacks and Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young (nine touchdowns; 1994) and Joe Montana (11 touchdowns; 1989).
Flacco completed eight passes on throws more than 20 yards downfield in his first nine career postseason games, but has 10 completions in three games this postseason. Flacco has gone 2-of-16 with two interceptions on those throws in his postseason losses (16-of-38, 4 TD in wins, including this season).
Flacco had a league-best 18 pass plays of 30-plus yards against four or fewer pass rushers in the regular season and has added six more in the postseason. Flacco had five such plays in his first nine postseason games and only one since 2008. No team has used four or fewer pass rushers more often than the 49ers this season (83.7 percent, including playoffs).
Veteran linebacker Ray Lewis – who was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV – has led the Baltimore defense. The Ravens joined the 2010 New York Jets as the only teams to defeat both Manning and Brady in the same postseason. Lewis, who will retire after the season, leads the NFL with 44 tackles in the playoffs.
Including plays negated by penalties, Lewis has been on field for all 271 of the Ravens’ defensive snaps this postseason. Lewis and Ed Reed are the only Ravens defenders to play every postseason snap. Lewis has helped stabilize the Ravens defense when bringing added pressure this season. The Ravens allowed opponents to complete 65.1 percent of their passes against five or more rushers when Lewis was inactive this season. Only Brady (twice) completed more than 60 percent of his throws versus the Ravens five-plus man pass rush with Lewis active.
WagerWeb.com trends: Ravens are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 playoff games. Ravens are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. Ravens are 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Please note that all lines are opening lines, check our current odds here.
Super Bowl XLVII: San Francisco 49ers notes
No team has been better in the Super Bowl than the San Francisco 49ers, who are unbeaten in five tries. And they 4-point WagerWeb.com favorites to win a sixth title on Sunday against Baltimore, which would tie the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowls in NFL history.
The 49ers erased a 17-0 deficit in the NFC Championship Game to defeat Atlanta 28-24. San Francisco is one of only three teams to win a postseason game on the road after trailing by as many as 17 points. San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, who took over as the team’s starting quarterback in Week 11, has guided the team to a 7-2 record (.778) in his starts, including a pair of postseason victories. In those nine starts, he has a 101.2 passer rating (13 touchdowns, four interceptions) and has rushed for 440 yards with four TDs.
In the NFC Championship Game, he completed 16 of 21 passes (76.2 percent) for 233 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 127.7 passer rating. His 11.1 yards per pass mark was the highest in 49ers postseason history, besting the previous club record of 10.7 held by Joe Montana.
Kaepernick’s seven career regular-season starts are the third-fewest for a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl, trailing only Jeff Hostetler (four) and Vince Ferragamo (five). In the postseason, Kaepernick has a 105.9 passer rating and has rushed for 202 yards. No player has ever posted a 100+ passer rating and rushed for at least 200 yards in a single postseason.
Kaepernick is the 5th 1st or 2nd year quarterback to start the Super Bowl. Of the 4 previous QBs to make it so early in their career, 3 won and 2 were named MVP of the game. And all except for Dan Marino ending up making multiple Super Bowl trips in their careers.
The 49ers have averaged 8.5 yards per rush outside the tackles in the postseason, and 6.9 yards on those runs for the entire season. The Ravens have allowed 3.6 yards per rush outside the tackles, including postseason, the third-best rate in the NFL.
Defensively, the 49ers have allowed the fewest yards per rush after contact this season (including playoffs), and have now led the NFL in three straight seasons. The Ravens rank 12th this season with 1.6 yards per rush allowed after contact. The Niners’ Aldon Smith has recorded 34.0 of his 35.5 career sacks when part of a four or fewer man pass rush. The next highest 49ers defender, Ahmad Brooks, has 13.5 sacks when the 49ers use such pressure.
San Francisco lost to the Ravens 16-6 on Thanksgiving Night 2011, but Kaepernick didn’t play in the game. Neither did Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco threw for 161 yards and tossed an 8-yard pass to tight end Dennis Pitta for the game’s only touchdown.
WagerWeb.com trends: 49ers are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. 49ers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on fieldturf. 49ers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. 49ers are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 49ers are 16-7-1 ATS in their last 24 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. 49ers are 25-11-1 ATS in their last 37 games overall.
Please note that all lines are opening lines, check our current odds here.
Super Bowl XLVII props: First turnover will be?
If there are multiple turnovers in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII between Baltimore and San Francisco, that could favor the AFC champion Ravens.
Forcing turnovers is crucial to the Ravens success defensively. In games when they have forced two or more turnovers, the Ravens are 10-2 (including playoffs). When they have forced no turnovers or one turnover, they are 3-4.
The Ravens have forced at least two turnovers in every game en route to the Super Bowl (two from the Colts, three each from the Broncos and Patriots). Overall, 22 percent of the Ravens opponent’s drives have ended with a turnover this postseason, the highest rate in the NFL. Ravens safety Ed Reed has eight career postseason interceptions. He’s one shy of the record for most career postseason interceptions, shared by Ronnie Lott, Charlie Waters, and Bill Simpson. Reed does not have an interception in his last four postseason games.
That Baltimore defense could be tired. The Ravens defense has been on the field for 1,342 plays so far this season, including the playoffs. Dating back to 2001, that’s the most defensive plays for any NFL team in a single season. Only one other defense played more than 1,300 – the 2011 New York Giants.
WagerWeb.com has a prop on the first turnover Sunday. An interception is a -160 favorite, with fumble at +120 and no turnovers at +750. The over/under overall interceptions total is set at 1.5. Here are some Super Bowl turnover records:
Most Turnovers, Game
9 Buffalo vs. Dallas, XXVII
8 Denver vs. Dallas, XII
7 Baltimore vs. Dallas, V
Most Turnovers, Both Teams, Game
11 Baltimore (7) vs. Dallas (4), V
Buffalo (9) vs. Dallas (2), XXVII
10 Denver (8) vs. Dallas (2), XII
8 New England (6) vs. Chicago (2), XX
Chicago (5) vs. Indianapolis (3), XLI
Fewest Turnovers, Both Teams, Game
0 Buffalo vs. N.Y. Giants, XXV
0 St. Louis vs. Tennessee, XXXIV
1 N.Y. Giants (0) vs. Denver (1), XXI
1 New Orleans (0) vs. Indianapolis (1), XLIV
1 N.Y. Giants (0) vs. New England (1), XLVI
2 Green Bay (1) vs. Kansas City (1), I
2 Miami (0) vs. Minnesota (2), VIII
2 Cincinnati (1) vs. San Francisco (1), XXIII
2 Carolina (1) vs. New England (1), XXXVIII
2 New England (1) vs. N.Y. Giants (1), XLII
Please note that all lines are opening lines, check our current odds here.
Super Bowl XLVII props: Will there be a safety?
Former Pittsburgh Steeler Dwight White, the Steel Curtain defensive end known as “Mad Dog” who helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s, made Super Bowl history in Super Bowl IX against the Minnesota Vikings.
White was best known for climbing out of a hospital bed to play in the Steelers’ first Super Bowl victory, 16-6 over the Vikings in 1975. White lost 18 pounds after being diagnosed with pneumonia and a lung infection, yet played nearly the entire game. He became sick while eating with Joe Greene on the Steelers’ first night in New Orleans. He spent the entire week before the game in the hospital, and the entire week after the game in the hospital.
White made three tackles for no yards as the Vikings ran seven of their first eight running plays his way and went on to finish with only 17 yards rushing on 21 attempts. White also accounted for the only points of the first half when he sacked Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a safety. That was the first safety in Super Bowl history. White remains one of only five players to record a Super Bowl safety. And he is perhaps the only player to score two points while playing at 20 pounds below his regular weight.
Will there be a safety on Sunday? No is the -2000 favorite on WagerWeb.com, with yes at +700. Here is the complete list of Super Bowl safeties:
Dwight White, Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota, IX
Reggie Harrison, Pittsburgh vs. Dallas, X
Henry Waechter, Chicago vs. New England, XX
George Martin, N.Y. Giants vs. Denver, XXI
Bruce Smith, Buffalo vs. N.Y. Giants, XXV
Please note that all lines are opening lines, check our current odds here.
Super Bowl XLVII props: Penalties
If you commit fewer penalties than your opposing team, you are more likely than not to win in the NFL. Will that be the case in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII between San Francisco and Baltimore?
Jerome Boger is the referee assigned to work Super Bowl XLVII. He worked the 49ers’ divisional-round victory over Green Bay without incident. He previously worked three other divisional-round games. He has never worked a conference championship game or Super Bowl.
Boger’s crews have called a league-high number of holding penalties against interior defensive linemen. Boger’s crew has called a league-high 18 holding penalties against defensive linemen since 2008. That is about triple the average and six more than runner-up Ed Hocholi’s crew. Boger’s crew called zero such penalties this season, however. Crew tendencies can be difficult to discern because officals work a relatively small number of games. Also, regular-season trends might not hold up because the NFL shifts to all-star crews for the playoffs.
Since 2012, Boger’s crews have called 151offensive holding penalties, No. 1 in the NFL. Overall the crew has called 664 total penalties, No. 3 overall. Referees are primarily responsible for roughing-the-passer and some holding calls. Boger’s assignment to the game has generated controversy amid accusations the NFL reversed eight negative marks from his report card.
WagerWeb.com has a few props on penalties for Super Bowl XLVII. Which team will commit the first? The 49ers, who were among the league leaders this season, are -125 with the Ravens at -115. San Francisco also is -125 to commit the first pass interference penalty, with Baltimore at -115. The Ravens are -130 favorite to commit the first holding call, with San Francisco at -110.
Here are the Super Bowl records for penalties:
Most Penalties, Game
12 Dallas vs. Denver, XII
12 Carolina vs. New England, XXXVIII
11 Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, XLIII
10 Dallas vs. Baltimore, V
Fewest Penalties, Game
0 Miami vs. Dallas, VI
0 Pittsburgh vs. Dallas, X
0 Denver vs. San Francisco, XXIV
0 Atlanta vs. Denver, XXXIII
1 Green Bay vs. Oakland, II
1 Miami vs. Minnesota, VIII; vs. San Francisco, XIX
1 Buffalo vs. Dallas, XXVIII
Most Penalties, Both Teams, Game
20 Dallas (12) vs. Denver (8), XII
20 Carolina (12) vs. New England (8), XXXVIII
18 Arizona (11) vs. Pittsburgh (7), XLIII
16 Cincinnati (8) vs. San Francisco (8), XVI
16 Green Bay (9) vs. Denver (7), XXXII
Fewest Penalties, Both Teams, Game
2 Pittsburgh (0) vs. Dallas (2), X
3 Miami (0) vs. Dallas (3), VI
3 Miami (1) vs. San Francisco (2), XIX
4 Denver (0) vs. San Francisco (4), XXIV
4 Atlanta (0) vs. Denver (4), XXXI
Please note that all lines are opening lines, check our current odds here.