The Peterson Principle 1/21/13

Manti Te’o looks bad either way

Wow what a week! From Manti Te’o’s fake girlfriend to Lance Armstrong’s fake Tour de France victories, to the Lakers fake run to the playoffs it was pretty wild. Oh yeah and by the way the Super Bowl teams were determined too. That was real.

We’ll get to the NFL but worst things first. As far as the Notre Dame middle linebacker it’s a no win situation. Te’o looks bad either way. If he was part of the hoax then he’s a guy that can’t be trusted. If he can lie to the media, his teammates and his friends and family about of all things, a fake relationship, then how can he be trusted in an NFL locker room? According to NFL draft experts, his stock won’t drop too much but you know that regardless of where he ends up, he will be viewed differently. His leadership will always be questioned.

If he wasn’t part of the hoax then frankly he’s a fool. He never met the girl and every time he sets up a meeting she either can’t or won’t make it. He develops a “relationship” over three years but he never once meets the object of his love? Then he is supposedly devastated when he receives a call that she passed away. He’s extremely naive and gullible to have fallen for such a scam. Again, is this a guy that you want leading your football team? It’s going to take awhile for this to go away.

Armstrong bared his soul to Oprah but it was really anticlimactic. Everybody already knew he was guilty so when Armstrong finally came clean, no pun intended, everybody yawned. Yeah, it’s sad, yes it’s disappointing and yes he should be permanently banned from the sport. And if it wasn’t cycling it might be an interesting story. But wasn’t everybody involved in cycling during that era doping? OK if not everybody than at least 95 percent. Maybe the entire sport of cycling should be suspended. If it was would anybody protest?

Sorry, but wins over Cleveland and Milwaukee do not mean the Lakers are back on track. And they immediately proved that with losses to Miami and Toronto…yeah Toronto. This team is in trouble.

 

Okay the NFL…Did the Atlanta Falcons really blow a double digit lead for the second week in a row? Maybe that was fake too. Matt Ryan played well but not well enough to win. Those two turnovers killed him.

What’s scary about the 49ers is that Colin Kaepernick beat the Falcons with his arm, not his legs. If he runs and passes he could give the Ravens fits.

Interesting stat: The Patriots were 67-0 in games in which they were leading at halftime with Tom Brady at quarterback. Make that 67-1.

Three weeks ago the “Ray Lewis factor” seemed insignificant. Maybe there is something to it.

Joe Flacco doesn’t get enough credit. He’s turning into a great quarterback. Not elite yet, but he is great. He just beat Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in succession.

Like the Manning bashers that emerged after the Broncos were bounced, look for the Brady haters to crawl from the woodwork now that the Pats were sent packing.

Although I picked the Ravens and the 49ers to win Sunday and advance to the Super Bowl, I’m not looking forward to the “Harbaugh Bowl” hype.

Is it just me or is Jim Rome extremely annoying. “Baltimore could absolutely win this game but they won’t. Tom Brady wants his fourth ring more than the Ravens want their second. New England 30 Baltimore 20,” Rome said confidently on CBS right before the kickoff.

With a few weeks left in the season, Rome said that Eli Manning would lead the New York Giants to a second consecutive Super Bowl title. He had to backtrack on that one right before he picked the Pats.

Wrong again Romey. I’m out!

That’s my principle.

Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com

 

 

 

 

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