Super Bowl XLIV Most Watched TV Event EVER With 106.5 Milli
Surpasses "Goodbye & Amen" Episode
For 27 years M*A*S*H finale was the most watched TV event until last nights Super Bowl XLVI dethroned it. The previous record was of 106.0 million for the finale in 1983.
The Saints 31-17 win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV drew a 45.0 national rating and 106.5 million viewers on CBS Sunday night, up 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Pittsburgh Steelers/Arizona Cardinals on NBC last year (42.0, 98.7 mil), and up 4% and 9%, respectively, from New York Giants/New England Patriots on FOX in ‘08 (43.1, 97.4 mil).
Additionally, the 45.0 rating is the highest for any television program since Dallas Cowboys/Pittsburgh Steelers drew a 46.0 in 1996.
To put the numbers in perspective, the Super Bowl drew over 70 million more viewers than the top non-NFL sporting event of the past 12 months — the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game (30.8 mil).
This is the third-straight year the Super Bowl has drawn record viewership, and the fifth-straight year that viewership for the game has increased. Just five years ago, Super Bowl XXXIX drew only 86.1 million viewers on FOX. From 1999-05, the Super Bowl drew less than 90 million viewers each year.
The record for the Super Bowl is the capper to a highly successful season for the NFL. The regular season was the most-viewed since 1990 (16.6 mil), the Wild Card round was the most-viewed since ‘95 (29.9 mil), the Divisional Round was the most-viewed since ‘94 (33.0 mil), and the Conference Championship games were the most-viewed since ‘82 (52.9 mil).
Osi Umenyiora Would Quit Before Being A Backup
Nice
In an interview on sports radio WFAN, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said that this is the worst offseason of his life and indicated that he’d rather stop playing football altogether than be a backup player.
“I’m not going to be a back up player, I can promise you that,” Umenyiora said. “I’ll stop playing football before I do that ever again. This has been just the worst offseason of my entire life. I can’t even think of a time when things were this bad during the offseason. You’re supposed to be relaxing, but I can’t relax because all I can think of is the things that took place last season, you understand? So for me it’s not something that I’m going to do. If I’m asked to come back there and do that then I’ll just stop playing football.”
Umenyiora, of course, is coming off a tremendously rocky season which began with a one-day walkout after a dispute with former defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, and continued as he struggled to regain his form after missing all of 2008 following knee surgery. His play slipped so far, especially against the run, that he was replaced in the starting lineup by Mathias Kiwanuka for the final weeks of the season.
San Francisco 49ers To Play Denver Broncos In London In 2010
Est. 1920
The San Francisco 49ers will play the Denver Broncos next season at Wembley Stadium, the fourth straight year the NFL will stage a regular-season game in the British capital. The 49ers will be listed as the home team for the Oct. 31 game and giving up a home date. The Broncos have played seven international exhibition games in the past.
The game between the five-time Super Bowl champion 49ers and two-time winner Broncos may not be the only one in Britain next season. The NFL will continue to explore the possibility of playing a second game in the UK in 2010.
The 49ers and Broncos struggled to 8-8 records this season and missed the playoffs.
The NFL has played games at Wembley for the last three seasons, the first game featured the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants beating the Miami Dolphins 13-10. In 2008, the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 37-32. And this season, the New England Patriots defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in October.
Bill Cowher Is “Holding Out” For The New York Giants Job
Simply Known As The Chin
Bill Cowher has gone another season of not accepting an opening to be once again a head coach in the NFL, making it now three years since he stepped away from the game. Accorrding to his former player Jerome Bettis he says the reason that Cowher hasn’t returned to coach is because he’s “holding out” for the New York Giants job to open up. In fact, he told Chris “Mad Dog” Russo today on Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Radio that Cowher would have gotten the Giants’ job in 2008 if Tom Coughlin hadn’t taken the Giants on that magical, Super Bowl XLII run.
“That’s the team that he really coveted,” Bettis said. “This is where he always wanted to be. The Mara family, he’s been very close to them. … He’s known them very well and was on the inside track — before the Giants won the Super Bowl — for that job. And I think he’s holding out for that opportunity if it presents itself.”
Bettis has previously said that Cowher will make sure his new team has a franchise quarterback with whom he can work because Cowher endured the inconsistencies of a franchise without steady quarterback play in Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox.
Watch your back Tom.
WTF: Bill Sheridan
What Did You Do
The NFL regular is officially over and there is no more Sundays for me to hope that the New York Giants defense will turn itself around. With the off season additions of defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, defensive end Chris Canty and getting a healthy Osi Umenyiora back, the expectations where high for this squad. So WTF happened in your first year of taking over the defense Bill Sheridan?
Attention St. Louis Rams Your Officially On The Clock
Selected With The No. 1 Overall Pick Ndamukong Suh
I’m sure St. Louis Rams fans will or have scoured the names of eligible college quarterbacks and envision them in a Rams uniform for the upcoming NFL Draft in April. However Ram fan, that’s the wrong position your organization needs to tend to with the number one overall pick, it’s time to think smart and not what would be pretty. I’m not saying the Rams don’t need to get a quarterback because they do but this draft doesn’t present itself with that clear cut number one overall guy to build a franchise around.
Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Dan LeFevour, Jimmy Clausen are great quarterbacks but with all the scrutiny that comes from being a number one overall, they are not your answer. Sam Bradford could be the exception however after shoulder surgery that leaves a huge question mark whether that’s the right move.
The answer lies on the defensive side of the ball and his name is Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle out of University of Nebraska. It’s that simple for the Rams, just continue to build on the defense since St. Louis already has brought in former New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spanuolo last year to be the head coach and in 2008 selected with the number two overall pick defensive end Chris Long out of the University of Virginia. Suh will clog the middle of line and demanding double teams allowing Long or Leonard Little to be freed up. ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member safety Eric Berry out of Tennessee could be another option but what Suh does at the line of impact, it’s a cant miss.
So St.Louis your on the clock but don’t make the mistake that puts you right back on the clock in April 2011.
New Company Hoping To Help Athletes Be Faithful
Just Go To The Adult MegaPlexxx
About 36 companies are created every minute of every day but in that mix comes a company looking to stop the Tiger Woods of the sports world. It’s called “Off The Market” and is created by some wives of NFL players, here’s the skinny, they want to help strengthen relationships between pro athletes and their significant others.
“We want to help athletes sustain a positive and sexy relationship with their mates,” said Tia Robbins, wife of New York Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins, who’s in business with along with Jerika Johnstone, wife of former NFL player Lance Johnstone and Jasmine Silva, girlfriend of St. Louis Rams safety James Butler.
Their mission at “Off the Market” is to enrich the lives of couples by offering a unique environment, exclusive services, and access to valuable resources for the ultimate benefit. That may include gift bags by Tenga a company that makes adult toys for men or offering a private lesson for strip pole dancing or just going ahead and building one in the home. They also hope to provide exclusive, one of-a-kind couples events by invitation only, sorry Alex Rodriguez because your a swinger you will not be getting an invitation.
So will this really keep atletes disco sticks in their pants while they are on the road or just add some spice to a dull relationship?
NFL To Play 2 Regular Season Games In London In 2010
Super Bowl XLIX In London?
NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood has confirmed that the NFL plans to play two regular-season games in London during 2010. The league has held a game in Wembley Stadium for each of the past three years.
“We’ve got two teams that have agreed conceptually to be home teams. We’re currently trying to get the opposition confirmed,” Kirkwood said.
New England scored a 35-7 win over Tampa Bay in the NFL’s annual trip across the pond, which took place in Week 7 this season. The Saints beat the Chargers in the 2008 visit to Wembley, and the Giants edged out the Dolphins in 2007, the NFL’s inaugural England game. More than 84,000 fans took in the Patriots-Buccaneers game in October, and the NFL’s reception in England has been almost universally positive, so much so that talk of eventually moving a team overseas has gained some support.
According to the BBC, London is “likely to host both games” next season, but other venues could be sought if the NFL continues to schedule multiple games in the United Kingdom.
“We’re keen to play outside of London, but the teams themselves feel more comfortable being in London,” Kirkwood said. “I’ve got an ambition to take the game to Scotland and Wales but it’s probably not likely to happen in 2010.”
Roger “Godfather” Goodell is just trying to step on the toes of David “The Goon” Stern and his strangle hold of the international dollar.
Can’t wait for a Super Bowl XLIX to be played in London.
Cowboys vs Giants Is Highest Rated FOX Game Of The Year
Est. 1920
The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys combined to draw massive numbers for the second time this season.
The Cowboys/Giants game drew an 18.9/35 overnight rating on FOX. The 18.9 overnight is the highest of the season for an NFL telecast on any network, topping the previous high of 18.3 for the Week 8 Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers game on NBC for the Sunday Night Football.
The Cowboys have been involved in four of the top games of the season, including their earlier meeting with the Giants, which aired on NBC.
Sunday’s telecast drew the highest overnight for a regular season NFL telecast on a single network since New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts in 2007 (22.5), and the highest for an NFL telecast on FOX since Giants/Cowboys in 2006 (19.1).
Brandon Jacobs Makes Cowboy Fan Look Stupid….AGAIN
“You’d think somebody from Dallas would have been able to get over there”….It’s so funny because it’s so true.
UPDATE: Eli Manning Admits To Making His Mark On Jerry’s World
Eli Marks The Spot
Back on October 4 Sports Grind Entertainment brought you the story of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning making his mark on Jerry’s World figuratively and literally.
After the Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys in their first ever home game at Jerry’s World 33-31 a Manning signature was found in the visitors locker room acknowledging the occasion. Now just days before the NFC East division leading Cowboys travel to the Meadowlands, Manning has admitted to the marking.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty common thing,” Manning told reporters at the Giants’ practice facility. “I was asked to sign it, it wasn’t like I just went there and signed it. I didn’t have a pen on me or anything. It was all supplied.”
Manning did not seem concerned when told that the Cowboys were using his autograph as motivational fodder.
“Yeah, I kind of heard a few things about it,” Manning said. “I figure they’ll eventually get over it.”
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bradie James considers the signature a form of taunting, much like Giants running back Brandon Jacobs postgame dance on the star at midfield after the Giants victory.
“We won’t forget that,” said James. “It just makes for a more intense game.”
Texas-Texas A&M Score In Thanksgiving Ratings
49-39
The Thursday night (Thanksgiving) game between the University of Texas Longhorns and the Texas A & M University Aggies drew a 27.5 in Austin, a 13.3 in Houston, a 12.8 in San Antonio and and 11.5 in Dallas — making the game the highest rated college football telecast ever on ESPN in each of those markets.
On a national scale it drew a 3.8 rating which is not bad but considering the NFL Network saw it’s second highest rated game ever and that came in at a 3.6 between the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos on same night.
The state of Texas is football and football is Texas.
FOX, CBS & NFL Network Give Thanks For The NFL
Est. 1920
I don’t know why the ratings for Thanksgiving to forever to get in but they finally are here and once again the Dallas Cowboys draw in the large numbers.
Overnight ratings were up double-digits for both Thanksgiving Day NFL games.
Thursday’s Green Bay Packers/Detroit Lions game on FOX drew a 12.1 overnight rating, up 11% from Tennessee Titans/Detroit Lions on CBS last year (10.9). They are however down 13% from the Green Bay Packers/Detroit Lions in 2007 (13.9).
The 12.1 overnight is tied as the second-lowest for the early Thanksgiving Day game since ‘01.
Later in the day, Oakland Raiders/Dallas Cowboys drew a 12.6 overnight on CBS, up 11% from Seattle Seahawks/Dallas Cowboys on FOX last year (11.4), and up 2% from New York Jets/Dallas Cowboys in 2007 (12.4).
The 12.6 is the third-highest overnight for the late Thanksgiving Day game since ‘01.
The NFL Network saw it’s second-most viewed game in it’s history with the New York Giants/Denver Broncos.
The New York Giants/Denver Broncos drew 6.1 million viewers on NFL Network Thursday night, up 61% from 3.8 million for Arizona Cardinals/Philadelphia Eagles last year.
Thursday’s game ranks as the second-most viewed NFL telecast ever on NFL Network, behind only Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys in 2007 (10.1 mil).
In related ratings news the SportsBusiness Journal shows the Cowboys have been the NFL’s biggest draw in primetime over the past four seasons.
Since 2006, primetime regular season Cowboys games have averaged 19.2 million viewers putting the team comfortably ahead of the second-place Colts (16.7 mil) and the Giants (16.6 mil). The Bears (16.3 mil), Patriots (16.0 mil) and Eagles (16.0 mil) round out the top 6.
The 49ers averaged the fewest viewers of any NFL team with more than 1 primetime appearance, with just 9.9 million.
Denver Broncos Josh McDaniels Trash Talks Chargers Before Game
Loose Lips Get You In Trouble
Is history bound to repeat itself in Denver? After the Broncos got out to a 6-0 start they have now lost four in a row and their latest lost 32-3 coming to their AFC West rival the San Diego Chargers.
But did the Broncos lose before kickoff even got under way due to rookie head coach Josh MacDaniels? Shawne Merriman and Stephen Cooper said that McDaniels came up to them during warmups and said to them “We own you guys.”
“I’m not surprised. He’s a little cocky ass To say he owns us? I mean, you beat us one time. What has he really done in this league? He had a team 6-0 and now he’s looking up at us from second place said Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips.”
Did McDaniels really need to feed the Chargers any extra motivation seeing how his own club has lost a 3 1/2 division lead quicker than I can ever remember?
To add to the Broncos misery wide receiver Brandon Marshall says he’s not sorry for berating and shoving Knowshon Moreno after the rookie running back fumbled at the goal line. Marshall and his teammates have a short work week to do their self-reflections and make corrections as they have a short week when the New York Giants visit Invesco Field on Thanksgiving night.
This team is losing it’s composure fast, real fast.
Favre’s Homecoming Draws In High Numbers, But Not Huge
Take That Ted
Brett Favre’s homecoming drew big ratings on Sunday, but perhaps not quite as high as expected.
NFL coverage featuring the Vikings’ win over the Packers drew an 18.3 overnight rating on FOX, it doesn’t set any ratings records for the heavily hyped game. In 2007 alone, three regular season games drew an 18.4 overnight or higher and that does not include the Patriots/Giants game in Week 17 of that season, which aired on three separate networks. In 2006, a Giants/Cowboys game on FOX drew a 19.1 overnight rating.
In Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Vikings’ win drew a 47.0/76 rating. Meaning 76% of local households with televisions in use were tuned to the game, while (45.0/70) 70% in Milwaukee.
Giants Want Revenge For McNabb Using Their Phone
Can You Here Me Now?
The New York Giants are focused on what happened the last time they met Philadelphia Eagles. In the Eagles’ 23-11 divisional playoff win against New York last season, McNabb ran the ball out of bounds on the Giants’ sideline and picked up the phone to the Giants’ coaches’ box. The Giants didn’t take too kindly to McNabb’s gesture.
The Giants didn’t appreciate the moment. All off-season they had the picture on the wall at their facility. Nine months after the incident, they haven’t forgotten about it.
“It sits pretty heavy on us,” linebacker Danny Clark said.
In a conference call to reporters on Wednesday McNabb said “No, I don’t have any regrets for doing it. But in this game, do you really need any psychological motivation? I don’t think so. This is a game you dream about playing and you love competing — no matter who you play. We’ve played each other for years and I don’t think you need any type of motivation to play this game. If you need any little thing that happened during a game last year or years before, then really you’re not truly focused on week in and week out trying to be the best at what you do.”
Asked what he heard on the other end, McNabb said, “Verizon wasn’t working. There was nothing over there.”
Sunday will for sure be jungle in Philly, as the Giants and Yankees are coming to the Liberty City.
At Least For One Night MLB Was A Winner
Est. 1869
The ratings are in and for one night at least Major League Baseball beat out the National Football League in a head to head ratings show down.
The New York Yankees’ series clinching win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drew an 11.4 overnight on FOX, while Sunday’s Arizona Cardinals versus the New York Giants game drew a 10.4 overnight rating on NBC. The 10.4 is a season-low for Sunday Night Football.
The 11.4 overnight for Angels/Yankees Game 6 is the highest for any non-NFL sporting event since the North Carolina/Michigan State NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game (11.9). To put the numbers in perspective the highest overnight for the NBA Finals in June was a 10.9 (Game 4).
The Yankees clincher drew a 26.9, dwarfing a 9.3 for Cardinals/Giants in the New York market.
Ratings for the 2009 MLB postseason are up 15 percent compared to last year.
As an MLB fan it feels great that at least for one night it slayed Goliath head to head nationally and smashed it into the ground within the same market.
NFL Players Against Limbaugh Being An Owner
DRUGGIE
Rush Limbaugh is an avid sports fan, Limbaugh is also a wealthy man and like to make a bid in buying the St. Louis Rams. The decision hasn’t boded very well with some of his possible future employees because of past comments like,
“I mean let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: Slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back. I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.”
I’m sure they where, when a people are fearful of being lynched.
Of course there is the time he was an analyst with ESPN, who has a partnership with the NFL,
“The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well,” when talking about Donovan McNabb.
New York Giants Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka is one of the first players to publicly speak out against Limbaugh’s possibility of becoming an NFL owner.
Kiwanuka told The Daily News “All I know is from the last comment I heard, he said in (President) Obama’s America, white kids are getting beat up on the bus while black kids are chanting ‘right on. I mean I don’t want anything to do with a team that he has any part of. He can do whatever he wants, it is a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play.”
“I am not going to draw a conclusion from a person off of one comment, but when it is time after time after time and there’s a consistent pattern of disrespect and just a complete misunderstanding of an entire culture that I am a part of, I can’t respect him as a man.”
Agreed. Kiwanuka is spot on about Limbaugh’s credit report, it’s bad. He also maybe be one of the first to speak out about his former defense coordinator Steve Spagnuolos possible future boss but he isn’t the only one, as New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott says players remember what Limbaugh said.
“It’s an oxymoron that he criticized Donovan McNabb. A lot of us took it as more of a racial-type thing. I can only imagine how his players would feel. I know I wouldn’t want to play for him. He’s a jerk. What he said (about McNabb) was inappropriate and insensitive, totally off-base. He could offer me whatever he wanted, I wouldn’t play for him. … I wouldn’t play for Rush Limbaugh. My principles are greater and I can’t be bought.”
The players are speaking out against the same man that spoke out on the same league he wants into when he once said:
“Look, let me put it to you this way. The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it,” he said on his nationally syndicated his radio show.
Why does a man who seems to openly detest black people would want to own a business that largely has those same people as its employees?
Dirty Motel
Bush Indeed
The New York Giants are still a little pissed at Dallas Cowboys’ offensive tackle Flozell Adams and his leg whip. Adams stuck out his leg and tripped Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck in the first half of Sunday night’s game. The injury to Tucks left shoulder caused him to miss the rest of the nationally televised contest.
“It’s something he always does and he gets away with it and he continues to do it,” Tuck said.
“Guys get beat and they have to do anything to save their quarterback, but that is not an excuse,” Mathias Kiwanuka said.
Kiwanuka is knows a thing about dirty plays when Washington Redskins Chris Samuel’s fell on the back of his ankle in the season opener last season after being beaten on a pass rush.Kiwanuka didn’t hesitate to call that a dirty play, and he cut Adams no slack.
“This is the NFL,” Kiwanuka said. “People put their careers on the line everyday, in every practice, in every game. You don’t want to risk somebody getting hurt off something cheap like that. You understand that they have a job to protect their quarterback, but there are rules in a game for a reason.”
Adams downplayed the incident, asking what does “bush” mean?
“I never heard of that before. I’m curious. What is it?” Adams said.
When told that bush is slang for a dirty play, Adams said he did not know that Tuck was hurt.
“A shoulder injury?” Adams said. “From a supposed kick? Tell him to stay up. It ain’t my fault.”
Don’t play dumb Flozell, you know that was bush.
***UPDATE***
Flozell Adams has been fined $12,500 for his trip on Justin Tuck. This is the second time in two weeks that Adams has been fined. He earned a $5,000 fine following Week 1 for an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Redskins Add Giants QB Cause Zorn Cant Beat N.Y.
Steve Spurrier Of QB's All Over Again?
Former New York Giants quarterback Andre Woodson did not have a chance to clear waivers for the Giants as Jim Zorn and the Washington Redskins came to his rescue. The Redskins signed Woodson just a few days before they open the NFL season in Giants Stadium.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin thinks he knows why the Redskins signed him, so they can ask Woodson everything he learned in Giants training camp in advance of Sunday’s regular-season opener. Coughlin said teams sign players to see if they can pick up clues about the next week’s opponent all the time. The Pittsburgh Steelers could be said of doing the same thing when they signed former Tennessee Titan Tuff Harris to their practice squad in advance of Thursday’s opener against the Titans.
Washington head coach Jim Zorn, whose 0-2 versus the Giants, wasn’t in all-out denial mode when he admitted to reporters that Woodson could help prepare for the Giants.
“He was on the offensive side. He may be able to help us a little bit. He knows their stuff and he certainly knew their snap count, Zorn said.
Coughlin said the Giants might have to tweak an audible here or there to account for the possibility that Woodson has given up some of their secrets to the enemy.
“I’ve seen it done. A guy doesn’t get in the door two seconds, and he’s in a classroom being grilled, Coughlin said.
Hey at least did the right thing and cut fat face Chase Daniel on cutting dreams day.
Michael Vick Returns To ATL In Week 13
#7 is BACK
To some the number thirteen is considered as an unlucky number. In Week Thirteen of the 2009 season, fans in Atlanta who still have an affinity for Mike Vick will be able to witness the man in a Philadelphia Eagles jersey.
On December 6, Vick and the Eagles will head to the Georgia Dome for a game that’s currently due to begin at 12:00 p.m. CST. FOX has the ability to protect a certain number of games from being moved to NBC, and FOX undoubtedly will keep Eagles-Falcons. That said, the NFL might move it to 3:15 p.m. CST, since Week Thirteen is a FOX doubleheader weekend. The league might have to move Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants to 12:00 p.m. or allow it be flexed to NBC in place of New England Patriots-Miami Dolphins.
