With 140 characters being able to tell a story by simply pressing “SEND”, it’s apparent that Kevin Durant isn’t a superstar and that we have all been fooled. Maybe he’s not scoring enough (you stupid 31.8 ppg), maybe he isn’t rebounding enough (silly him for leading his team in rebounding), or maybe he just isn’t passing enough (allow me to gloss over his 6.3 assists this postseason).

Apparently, the latest narrative on Twitter has been that Durant could stand to do more to help the Thunder play without Russell Westbrook. Thank goodness no one that I follow and disagree with has a front office job because, if they did, Durant would have been traded by now (yes, I know, the trade deadline has come and gone). But seriously, it’s hard to overstate how much the Thunder miss their All-NBA point guard, so it’s only natural that everyone overlooks that fact while minimizing what Durant has done in his absence.

These days, nothing comes and goes quicker than the crowning and inevitable discrediting of a “superstar”. James Harden’s stint as a superstar lasted up until the playoffs, where he proved to be mortal, silly him. Steph Curry and his smooth 3-point shooting stroke will inevitably suffer the same fate. That’s all fine and dandy, seeing as I don’t agree that they’re superstars as of yet. But if Kevin Durant is the latest guy to come under fire, something is clearly wrong with us.

If sports on Twitter has done anything, it has exposed a lot of people for developing this contrived obsession with winning and how it determines who is elite.

Though winning matters a lot, it judges only so much. The other day when Kevin Durant was quoted as saying he could “do more”, he gave people all the ammunition necessary to harp on his efforts, even when he was simply being politically correct. Durant, as a leader and competitor, will always say that he can do more. He realizes that he has a lot of slack to pick up if he’s going to return to the NBA Finals this postseason; but it would be incredibly lazy to discredit anything he does because he’s down 3-1 in the second round.

Replacing a key piece on a title contender isn’t easy. Awkwardly enough, Oklahoma City starting center Kendrick Perkins, for all his on-court deficiencies, is the perfect example of that. In 2010, Perkins, then starting for the Celtics, missed Game 7 of the NBA Finals; many felt that him being out cost the Celtics their second title in three years.

So, if we’re giving the Celtics a slight pass for missing Perkins, how hard do you think it is to replace a guy like Westbrook? His 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game aren’t going to fall out of the sky, but Durant has done a damn good job of making sure that they come close. He’s had to shoulder the scoring load, rebound even more, pass more effectively, and increase his already-ridiculous efficiency. What more can he really do? What more would anyone do?

There is so much irony in sports today. For years, people preached to Kobe Bryant that he couldn’t “do it alone”, all while giving LeBron James hell for realizing that and not wasting his prime years with teammates we have to Google to this very day. Durant can’t do it alone, no star worth mentioning ever has, and no one ever worth remembering ever will.

If the Thunder lose this series, there could very well be a long line of people waiting to see why there’s a love affair with Durant, which would prove that they don’t watch enough basketball.

Everyone is so obsessed with who won or lost that there’s no energy left to give attention to context. In Durant’s case, he’s done more for the Thunder, even in their 3-1 hole, than anyone else could do. No game in this series has been decided by more than six points, and that certainly isn’t because Durant’s supporting cast has lit the world on fire.

How quickly we forget the annual pity party we threw for Kevin Garnett as he wasted away in Minnesota. Year after year, Garnett would go home in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and we had no problem crowning him as one of the premiere players in the NBA. Tracy McGrady, one of the best scorers in recent memory, suffered the same yearly result.

The same reason we gloss over Garnett and McGrady struggling in the postseason is the same reason we glossed over Jordan doing the same: they showed up when it mattered most.

Slowly, the standard of being a superstar has been to overcompensate to irrational lengths. Durant’s efforts have been superhuman, even when the Thunder are coming on the wrong side of the scoreboard. The only people looking to discredit what has done are the ones who ready box scores quicker than read into the circumstances he’s playing under. Westbrook never missed an NBA game before his injury in Game 3 of the first round, and now the Thunder have to adapt on the fly while defending their Western Conference crown.

In that time, Durant has average 33.1 points, 10.1 boards and 6.3 assists. If the Thunder lose against the Grizzlies, it won’t be because of Durant. Every year, a new narrative develops to suggest that a star could stand to do more while we make very little of what his teammates could stand to do. As talented as Durant is, the efforts of Westbrook are missed when you’re talking about making the game easier. Durant is struggling to get open looks because he has no teammates who present a viable threat on offense unless he creates something.

Durant established himself as the best scorer in the NBA while he makes yearly improvements in other areas. With Westbrook out, the Thunder’s success is dependent on the nightly efforts of one guy. Using this postseason as a measuring stick , especially given the circumstances, is an irresponsible practice. The term “superstar” has become watered down into a flavor of the month award, a “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” technique that is dependent on last night’s results.

Fans have become so results-oriented that the process has become something to gloss over, all because of the almighty W. Guys like Carmelo Anthony aren’t second-guessed as superstars just because of the lack of playoff success on his resume, it’s because he excels at only one thing (at an inefficient rate, no less). Otherwise, Chris Paul wouldn’t be deemed a top 3 player in the NBA, seeing as he’s never made it past the second round of the playoffs. The steps to greatness have become an afterthought because tweeting gives casual fans the platform to criticize each of those steps. That’s something that Durant is learning, even without the help of one of the NBA’s best talents.

Every year, there is a new scapegoat to focus on, even when there are a million reasons to look elsewhere; this year, that’s Durant. We’ll never get tired of this same dance, no matter how impatient and irrational it allows us to look.

If nitpicking Durant while he shoulders this load has taught us anything, it’s that we haven’t learned a single thing from LeBron James before him. And, well, that’s not Durant’s fault at all.

So, it serves as no surprise that Russell Westbrook being out of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s lineup for the rest of the playoffs, well, sucks. At this point, the injury bug that has bitten the NBA postseason is something we could either be immune to or bummed out by, I chose the latter.

Westbrook is either revered or detested, there seems to be no gray area about him. He is arguably the most talented point guard in the entire league, as evidenced by him being the only guard to rank top ten in both points and assists. While his decision-making can be questioned, his value to the Thunder cannot. The very things people criticize Westbrook for doing will be the things that make a difference in Oklahoma City’s championship hopes.

There are people who want him to shoot less so that three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant can shoot more; now those people get what they’ve longed pined for. Despite having the most assists to one player (214 to Durant) this year, Westbrook’s game has been described as selfish and too aggressive. It’s a wonder why people see the efficiency of Durant and don’t give Westbrook any credit for playing a role in it.

Without Westbrook’s aggressive scoring nature, the degree of difficulty on Durant’s shots is higher with little room for error. In the 19 games Durant shot lower than 45% from the field, Westbrook contributed 25.4 points on 45% shooting, 5.7 boards and 6.6 assists, resulting in 11 wins. Not too many players in the NBA have the luxury to have an off shooting night and have a teammate shoulder the load that way.

Westbrook’s game isn’t perfect, but it’s effective. The masses are equally critical about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James doing the exact opposite of one another, whether it’s one shooting too much and the other not shooting enough. In the case of Westbrook, maybe he does shoot a lot; but now people will see what happens when he doesn’t shoot at all. In a world of people with a bevy of suggestions, no one can concoct a way for the Thunder to NOT miss their All-NBA point guard.

The Thunder will greatly miss the production and energy of Russell Westbrook.

Now, the efforts of power forward Serge Ibaka will be eyed carefully. Without James Harden to take over backup point guard duties, the attention turns to the guy the Thunder’s front office chose to keep over the 2013 All-Star. If the Thunder are going to advance to another NBA Finals, they will need Ibaka to establish more of a presence in the paint and take more than 3.8 shots at the rim. That style of play is fine against a Rockets team that doesn’t have the veteran savvy of a more experienced Thunder squad, but the likes of Tim Duncan and Marc Gasol will require a physical presence if you hope to neutralize their efforts.

That’s something that, even from the point guard position, Westbrook gave the Thunder. He got into the lane and established an emphatic presence that not many other teams have at all, let alone from their lead guard. Ibaka’s increased shooting range is nice for a change of pace, but he’s going to have to effect the game past jumpers, blocking shots and put-back dunks. Oklahoma City signed him to a four-year $48 million deal last year, this is the time for him to establish himself as a cog in their championship aspirations.

Regardless of what Ibaka or anyone else does, replacing an All-NBA guard isn’t easy. Ask the Bulls, ask the Celtics ask the Lakers. The Thunder have the fun task of replacing 29.8% of their points, 32.4 of their field goal attempts and 47.1 of their assists, according to Matt Moore of CBS Sports. No matter how talented Kevin Durant is, or how well Ibaka, Kevin Martin and Reggie Jackson play, the loss of Westbrook will be evident and profound.

I feel robbed because I’m going to miss watching those erratic drives that result in an emphatic jam. The same reason we love the playoffs is exactly why I love watching Russell Westbrook play with that intensity game in and game out, no matter the importance of the game. There is some contrived definition of a selfish teammate that people attach to Westbrook. Watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfjZkYQzfNw. Is that anything but a guy who loves the fun of the game?

If there’s anything evil attached to Westbrook’s game, it’s a necessary evil and I love it. He is what makes the NBA Playoffs fun. Now, his cynics get exactly what they wanted: more Durant, less Westbrook. Soon enough, they’ll be Westbrook apologists.

So, when I watch NCAA sports and keep up with the hell and high water that the student-athletes have to go through to play a sport they aren’t paid for, it rubs me the wrong way and it really makes my mind wander.

I’m sure I speak for a large number of people when I say that I don’t contribute nearly as much to my school as a student-athlete does. I don’t bring in the revenue, attention, endorsements, and level of productivity that a basketball player who spends 40 hours a week studying, practicing, watching video, training, and playing in games does. Yet, with this wide difference in contributions toward the school, I get more perks than these guys? There’s a problem with that.

We’re all familiar with the Mike Rice situation in Rutgers, we’ve seen the video of him pushing, kicking, dragging and verbally abusing players, and we’ve all come to the conclusion that he was out of line in every way, shape or form. The problem with Mike Rice stems from two facts: he isn’t the only coach who is remotely disrespectful to his players and there’s an abuse of the student-athlete going on that many are only empathetic toward when watching Rice berate a player for practicing a defensive rotation wrong.

On Sunday, just about everyone saw Kevin Ware have his leg do things that we aren’t accustomed to seeing; consider yourself lucky if you haven’t seen the video or picture of the gruesome moment.

Right now, the optimism Ware’s surgery and recovery act as the contrary to the ugliness we were introduced to when we saw video of Mike Rice abusing his players. Underneath the feel good story of Ware’s attention is him also being exploited and tak

Mike Rice’s ugly style of “leadership” should open eyes to the real problem behind the NCAA.

en advantage of by the NCAA and even his own school.

Louisville and Adidas are selling t-shirts with ‘RI5E TO THE OCCASION’ on the front, the number five representing Ware’s jersey number. This serves as such an inspiring way to rally around Ware as he recovers from an injury we haven’t seen since Joe Theismann some years ago, it’s so inspiring until you get to the part where Ware doesn’t get a single cent of the proceeds that come from selling the t-shirt.

Ware, and all other NCAA student-athletes aren’t allowed to make a single red cent from playing the sports that make the NCAA the billion dollar industry that it is today. This is one of the many examples of how the NCAA exploits the very reason it has money to its name in the first place.

Guys like Mike Rice, assuming there are others so horrible, still get paid for being both a horrible person and a horrible coach. Despite winning just 44 games in three years, Rice made an average base salary of $300,000 during his three-year stint at Rutgers. For his actions, that seems to be about $300,000 too much, and that’s before pointing out that his salary was well below the average $1.4 million that the average college basketball coach pockets.

We look at the actions of Rice yesterday and only see the suffering of players getting abused and berated by the person who is supposed to be most uplifting during their years as college students, but the exploitation and abuse of college players go far beyond just one video, past one ugly leg injury.

During your college years, you embark upon a journey of self-identification, you enjoy years of being irresponsible while hiding behind the cloak of that being the expectation, and you do your best to make sure those grades are up to par for you to keep your parents off of your behind. That’s the general experience when it comes to being a college student: fun.

The rigors of being an NCAA athlete go beyond just having fun. They wake up at 5 AM to work out like maniacs, they go to five classes a day, they have to practice five times a week, they have study hall, they have video sessions, and they have games to play. They do all of this for no money, none. If you’re lucky, you’re in the 1% that manages to go pro. If you’re normal, you’re stuck in student debt while the NCAA pockets an average of $770 million during March Madness.

There are actually people who don’t empathize with this exploitation, all while complaining about jobs that pay them in the first place. Imagine being part of a business, not a hobby, which brings in millions of dollars to televise you, use your likeness to sell jerseys and video games, and your best means of compensation is a scholarship that isn’t guaranteed to be renewed next year because, well, the NCAA doesn’t work that way.

The NCAA has proven to be such a flawed system with what it deems to be a violation of integrity and what appears to them to have too much gray area for them to outlaw. Apparently, A.J. Green selling a jersey is more problematic than making sure coaches are dignifying their players. There is a swift action to suspend Jamar Samuels for taking money from his AAU coach to simply eat when Penn State’s administration took years to come under fire for the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Because we see these guys dunking, running, and throwing to the appeal of our entertainment, we expect them to play the game, be quiet, and need for nothing. The suits behind the hypocrisy that is the NCAA pretends to give a damn about the very student-athlete they suspend for taking money from people just for being both broke during the most trying years of their life and being good at what they do.

This is all after recruiting these kids to schools, after coming into their homes and assuring their families that they’ll take care of their child, assuring them they’ll be in good hands. This is a system that will do its damnedest to make sure these kids don’t know their worth. This part of the reason this continues to be the very issue that it is today.

The issues of the NCAA’s lack of support for its athletes are not simply to explain, but they are simple to solve: treat them like what they are, like they’re employees.

For their troubles, we’ve seen guys like Dez Bryant get suspended for MAYBE giving enough of a damn to network with Deion Sanders for a sports agent. Mike Rice’s suspension when video surfaced his actions at Rutgers lasted a painful three games with a $75,000 fine. The money alone could support a Rutgers student for three years.

We love college sports because of the passion behind every shot, the emotion that fills a climatic finish, and the genuine nature in which the athletes care about the achieving the end result of a win. If we love college sports so much for that, ask yourself why we expect these same students to not hurt when the cameras go off, when they look around seeing everyone pocket from the business they make profitable.

So, when you see guys like Mike Rice acting the fool that they very well are, be disgusted without being surprised. There are plenty monsters like him in the NCAA, they just all wear a different mask.

If the Sixers should be anything, they should be grateful that they traded for Bynum, even if he never plays a single minute in their uniform.

For years, the Sixers have been one of the many teams in the NBA who struggled with being in limbo, stuck between trying to win while struggling to stop the losses from piling up. Along the way, they made some signings that attributed to the mediocrity.

Most recently, Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand were on a Philly squad that happened to be speeding on a fast track to nowhere. In 2008, Iguodala was signed to a six-year, $80 million deal that was eventually deemed too much for a guy who just never took that step to being a franchise player. Insert Brand’s own $80 million contract in that same 2008 offseason, and you end up with a team that never advanced past the second round of the NBA Playoffs while having one of the biggest payrolls in the NBA.

Iguodala was always in NBA trade rumors as the Sixers looked to have someone take his deal off of their hands. Brand was an apparent signing bust as he either never played enough games in two of his four seasons Philly, or not playing well enough in the seasons in which he consistently suited up.

Simply put, the Sixers were broke, mediocre, and had no way out. After the NBA lockout, an amnesty clause was implemented into the CBA that quickly made Brand Philly’s candidate to be the contract that they choose to no longer have on their cap. Then came Iguodala’s long-awaited departure from the Sixers in the deal for Bynum.

Since the trade, Iguodala has fit in with the fifth seeded Denver Nuggets, Brand has been more of the same shell of himself in Dallas, and Bynum has rehabbed on the Sixers’ dime.

Bynum’s skills in the low post, along with his rebound, make him one of the best centers in the NBA. After making his first All-Star Game last year with the Lakers, it was thought that his health and skills were finally coming together as he hits both his prime and free agency. It’s been the case that only the free agency is a guarantee, and the Sixers should be relieved.

If Bynum did happen to play even a little bit at this point of the season, assuming he’s to play at all, his market value would only continue to grow. Productive centers are a rare commodity in the NBA, and a 7-foot big man with the offensive skills that Bynum has to go along with his two titles on his resume make for a hefty contract offer from at least ONE team looking to plug their paint, even if he has a history of knee issues.

With Bynum’s latest setback in his recover from knee surgery, it is becoming more and more evident that he’s a risky investment to make long-term.

Amare Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin, and even Greg Oden are big man talents who have all had knee issues over the course of recent memory, the Sixers trading a contract they were desperate to rid themselves of for a guy who they can allow to simply walk at the end of the season may be a blessing in disguise.

They will have cap flexibility to build around rising All-Star Jrue Holliday, as well as young pieces in Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, Nick Young, and Spencer Hawes. The Sixers know far too well how bad it hurts to sign a guy to a long-term deal only for it to bite them in the end, they have the chance to finally be able to dictate their direction with cap space for the first time in about five years.

Don’t feel too sorry for Sixer fans, they’ll be fine. Andrew Bynum will be, too. Someone will pay him, the Sixers just better make sure they aren’t that someone.

Flacco has been the latest subject of the “Is he elite or his he not?” debate that seems to take place every season now that there is an apparent obsession with the NFL’s signal-caller hierarchy.

With a laser arm, 6’5 stature, and calm demeanor, Flacco has the physical tools that any fan would laud an NFL quarterback for having. But, there are moments where those physical tools don’t always equate to consistency.

He has his weird games, he has his great games, and he has his bad games, sometimes all in the succession of three weeks. He’s gone 10-31 in a 34-17 victory. He’s played well in defeat, such as his 28-43-for-385 day versus the Vikings way back in Minnesota. He was mediocre versus the Texans in the 2011 Playoffs only to lift his performance up the following week in a loss to the Patriots. This is the world of Joe Flacco: Weird, but productive.

So it’s no wonder why there is SOME apprehension on the part of some people when wondering if Flacco deserves to be the highest-paid QB of all-time. On my part, there’s not necessarily “no question” about it as much as there is “no problem” when it comes to it.

In discussing the Flacco deal with critics and cynics, you may find a bit of hypocrisy in their stance on the six years and $120.6 million.

Between his Super Bowl run and new contract, Joe Flacco has had a lot to be happy about.

Last season, Tebowmania had its supporters placing an emphasis on how Tebow winning games is all that mattered, regardless of how badly he played. The argument in discussing Tom Brady and the Patriots’ Super Bowl prospects always center around their string of ten straight division titles and Super Bowl victories, even if their last Super Bowl win was nine years ago. The reason people always discounted Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ regular season exploits is because they always came up short when the playoffs rolled around.

Insert Joe Flacco’s megadeal and you will have people who suggest Flacco shouldn’t get this contract based on his individual statistics, regardless of the fact that, despite the apparent emphasis on quarterbacks winning, Flacco has been the most consistent winning quarterback in the NFL while playing a large role on his team doing so.

Tom Brady, for all his career accomplishments and greatness, hasn’t won a Super Bowl title since 2004 and has been either outplayed or played to a draw by Mr. Flacco in their last two playoff meetings, the most recent one resulting in an eventual Super Bowl title.

For every argument that anyone can make about the guys with the gaudier statistics having a stronger case for a bigger contract than Flacco, ask them what has come about those statistics.

Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub, and Philip Rivers are seven of the ten only in the NFL with more passing yards than Joe Flacco since 2008, Flacco’s rookie year. They also have a combined playoff record of 10-17 since that time.

Factoring in Eli Manning’s 4-0 playoff record since 2008 seems impressive until you point that was one in the ONE postseason he’s made in the last four seasons.

In his eleven years a starter, Drew Brees has five playoff victories and a Super Bowl championship/MVP to his name, but three of those victories came in that Super Bowl run four years and 19,000-plus passing yards ago. Both he and Eli both earned the biggest contracts in NFL history at the time their deals were signed.

So that leaves us with Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are the only guys with a legitimate argument to make more than Flacco’s contract, if we’re so obsessed with winning, of course.

They both have ten combined playoff wins in the last five years, three combined Super Bowl wins, two Super Bowl MVPs between them, and only Rodgers will likely see that kind of money considering his age, individual statistics, and 5-2 playoff record, among other things.

Of course, doesn’t have the individual effect grasp on the game that a Brady, Rodgers, Brees, or Peyton has, and by no means am I saying that he is better than them. The only point there is to focus on is that Flacco doesn’t HAVE to be Brady, Brees, or Peyton to earn a bigger payday, no one does.

He doesn’t have the commercials that Peyton has, the personality of an Aaron Rodgers, or the hair of Tom Brady, assuming you’re into kind of stuff, but he wins. He has the second-most regular season wins (58) in the NFL since he’s come into the league, and the only guy with more wins than him, Matt Ryan, has eight less playoff victories and only one less loss.

Flacco can stand to be more consistent, he also can stand to be more dominant in order to justify the weight of this contract, but it’s hard to imagine that he could be more important for the Ravens at the right time.

Ray Lewis has been the face of the Ravens for 17 years, and he’s retiring. With a clearly declining defense, imminent mini-overhaul of player personnel, and need for a QB who puts you in a position to consistently win, the Ravens had no choice but to pay Flacco, and pay him well. That’s the simple of economics: supply and demand.

Franchising him would be a means of 1) alienating Flacco, and teammates, considering his historic playoff run and 2) risking a driving up of the price if Flacco is even better next year, which he has consistently done through his young career.

Sure, the number is gaudy, Flacco is weird, and the Ravens were put in an uncommon spot, having your free-agent-to-be QB win a Super Bowl during a postseason that only Joe Montana has duplicated, but that’s how this thing works.

It could be worse, guys. Winning matters, right?

That change is progressing into something we haven’t seen before. Along with that change comes that of an openly gay athlete. It is something that is pondered by many and the way it will be received is not really known by anyone. People, cameras, and attention are simply relentless in today’s sports and one has to question exactly how that would effect the inevitable of an openly gay athlete in a major team sport.

Lets take a look at small samples. We will start with one Tim Tebow. Tebow has possibly received more media attention than anybody in recent memory and I’m still trying to figure out exactly why that has been the case. For one, he’s pure fascination. Whether its because you think he’s not good enough to play “quarterback”, you hate him because of his “image”, or you just think he’s spectacular at the end of games; you watch.

Given the media attention Tebow received for just being Tebow, any gay athlete that may come out can expect something of the same and possibly even more in the way of media attention. People are going to want pictures of the athlete’s normal routine. Cameras would follow on any night out at the bar, movies, or dinner dates.

Calling it “like it is”, the homophobia would be running beyond wild. We can go to Lebron for that. Lebron has received more hatred during his career than most could imagine in a lifetime or so. Given the aforementioned progression of sports, that hatred has spilled over into his twitter account. I would not even want to see the slurs that would possibly be thrown towards the potential athlete’s or athletes’ way.

Like every topic, there is a bottom line in all of this. That bottom line is that all of this is excessive and simply should not be the case. If an athlete, along with any other person, chooses that lifestyle then they are well within their rights and should not be scrutinized for it.

In saying that, I realize this world is far from perfect. Also, as inevitable as an athlete coming out is, its also inevitable that the athlete will be looked at differently. Every play will be watched and every movement will be discussed. What we need to do is give him/her the necessary space.

People have all of their own reasons for justifying their homophobia. Personally, I don’t care about either one of them. It is not fair to the people who choose their lifestyle and may suffer in other areas because they don’t feel safe about making it known.

We can sit here all day and discuss a player’s skill sets, stats, or talent but the notion of asking a potential draftee about his sexuality was, is, and will always be flat out wrong. Situations like that will not help the progression of safety that needs to happen for all athletes.

In the near future, the sports world will have an active gay athlete on a team sport. Kudos to Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer, who decided to come out in 2012. Lets hope this serves as a door opener and athletes who decide to walk through it can walk through it peacefully and as safely as possible.

The timing could not have been more perfect for Flacco. He turned down a contract offer this past offseason and now has all of the leverage a 5 year quarterback could even dream of having.

Joe (Flacco) put up Joe (Montana’s) numbers with the 11 postseason touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 3 Super Bowl touchdowns got him a coveted Super Bowl MVP. All that begins the possible $100 million question, exactly what or how much is Flacco worth?

Lets throw this into a decent perspective, for the sake of future quarterbacks everywhere. We might want to start by defining the word “elite”. I think it honestly needs to cease being used, seeing as though it makes it easy to overrate quarterbacks.

Now, that the “e” word is out of the way, lets take a good look at what Flacco has accomplished in his short 5 year period. First and foremost, there is that aforementioned Super Bowl victory. Not only did he play great and win the MVP, he did all of that against one of the best if not the best defense in pro football. Aaron Rogers couldn’t beat them nor could the 1st draft pick in Flacco’s draft, Matt Ryan.

In just his 5 years, Flacco has the same amount of playoff wins as the great Peyton Manning. Not mention throwing a 70 yard late bomb to help beat Manning’s Broncos late in that playoff thriller.

While it can be argued that Flacco inherited a team with a great defense with the playoff wins and appearances from his first 4 years, but that was not the case this year. They played great at times, but were a shell of what they once were. Without the play of Flacco, that team is not in the postseason and is definitely not raising the Lombardi.

Outside of outplaying Brady for 2 consecutive years in the AFC Championship, Flacco does not have a 4,000 yard season. He also looked very mediocre in the Houston and Broncos game this year. Those types of Flacco games will no doubt stick out in the minds of many during offseason negotiations.

So what is the real worth of Flacco? Despite what everyone thinks and what we have seen in the past, Flacco has to be paid as a top QB. I refuse to use that aforementioned “e” word but right now there are only 6 quarterbacks outside of Flacco that have won Super Bowls. Only 2 of those have more playoff wins than Flacco (Brady, Roethlisberger) and 3 on that list were not in this season’s playoffs (Brees, Manning (Eli), and Roethlisberger).

The worth of Flacco is very simple. He has now proved himself to the world as a great quarterback. Flacco simply deserves every penny the market commands. While the signing will be difficult for the Ravens to pull off and keep their offense intact the way it is, that is not really Flacco’s problem from a financial standpoint. There is always the option of Flacco taking a pay cut to keep the Anquan Boldins of the world in a Ravens uniform. If he does that, then we can call him “elite”. Yes, I used the “e” word.

Add some spice to your Super Bowl party with a game-inspired pairing.

If you’re familiar with the Hyped Network, you know we’re hyped on two things: beer and sports.

So hyped, we created a spinoff to BallHyped called BeerHyped.com, where instead of voting up our favorite sports blogs we hype our favorite craft beers.

No Bud Light or Coors Light here, just the best of the best craft beers from the U.S. to Belgium.

So for the big game Sunday, which combines both our favorite pastimes – beer and football – we’ve drafted a blueprint for the Ultimate Super Bowl Food and Beer Pairing, with an emphasis on all parties involved in Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans.

For the 49ers fans, we have California classics such as Sierra Nevada and San Francisco’s own Anchor Steam, not to mention a rare stout collaboration between two of the founding founders of the Cali. craft beer movement.

For our homies in Baltimore, we have Flying Dog, brewed in Maryland. (Flying Dog and Anchor Steam actually have a Super Bowl bet going, and the loser of the Super Bowl will “pour the winning brewery’s beer in their taproom for a week by staff clad in the champion team’s gear.”)

And for all the party goers in New Orleans, we have three of Louisiana’s finest beers along with plenty of beads, so get Hyped:

First Course

Grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus; Various Cajun-cooked vegetables; Attendee appetizers.

• Anchor Steam Liberty Ale
• Flying Dog Double Pale Ale

Notes: You can’t have a Super Bowl party and lead off with vegetables unless they’re grilled, wrapped in bacon, and have plenty of spice. And to keep both sides of the room happy, we bring in beers from San Francisco and Maryland. Two of the best from coast to coast. Let the best brewery win, and avoid wearing the other sides’ colors and having to pour their beer for a week!

Second Course

BBQ bratwurst sandwich, with mango chutney sauce; BBQ sausages.

• Lost Coast Brewery Downtown Brown
• Abita Amber Ale

Notes: When I think Cajun, I think BBQ, and when I think football, I think sausage and brats. Add some mango, to give it that West Coast feel, and you’ve got a hit. A sweet and spicy kick calls for a sugary brown or amber ale, so we pulled a brown from the North Coast and an amber from NOLA. Might be our best combination of the night.

Third Course

Blackened Cajun chicken; Jumbalaya rice; Sides courtesy the attendees.

• Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums
• Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager

Notes: While I love BBQ brats and sausage, nothing quite beats blackened chicken, which really sets the tone for the main entrée. For this hotness, we went West Coast with a rare Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums, but chased it with a cool Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager. We don’t usually do lagers late, but being this is the Super Bowl, and the TV timeouts are forever long, you’ll not only have to cool off at this point, you’ll have to pace yourself for the fourth quarter. Remember, it’s Sunday, so you still have to work in the morning.

Fourth Course

Central Coast California Tri-Tip; Creole red beans and rice; Sides courtesy the attendees.

• Abita Turbodog
• Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Stout, a 2010 collaboration with Anchor Steam.

Notes: Now this is it. West Coast to the fullest. The Tri-Tip cut of steak is only found on the West the Coast, specifically on the Central Coast of California. And it makes THE best sandwiches if you’ve never had a chance to visit a San Luis Obispo Farmer’s Market. Trace that Tri-Tip with an Abita Turbodog, and a Sierra Nevada’s30th Anniversary Stout, an aged collaboration with San Francisco’s own Anchor Steam, and it’s a match made in heaven.

Fifth Course

Secret, Super Bowl -Style Chocolate Cake

• Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Ales Black Barley Wine Ale
• Deschutes Brewing Mirror Mirror Barley Wine (2009)

Notes: Now, by this point, there’s a million different ways you can go with dessert. But don’t blow it. Bring in the best chocolate cake you can get your hands on, and pair it with the finest barley wine you can get this weekend. Serve in small portions, but make sure you serve it and don’t let the fourth-quarter fireworks sideline your nightcap.

Enjoy the game!

There are enough storylines to spark intrigue for everyone watching. This will likely be Ray Lewis’ last game of his 17-year Hall of Fame career, Joe Flacco is going to continue his ascension into the top tier of NFL quarterbacks, and there’s the Harbaugh Bowl that everyone is glowing abut as head coaches Jim and John Harbaugh will be the first pair of brothers to compete against one another in a championship game.

With those storylines taken into account, there’s one thing about this Sunday that is especially interesting: Colin Kaepernick.

We’re all familiar with how Kaepernick was given an opportunity to start once Alex Smith was benched and how well he’s played since then. He’s elevated the San Franciso 49ers’ passing attack, he’s added to an already stout rushing attack, and he’s also the latest example of how the quarterback position is being revolutionized in the NFL.

Colin Kaepernick has taken his opportunity and run away with it to the tune of 502 rushing yards in nine starts en route to the Super Bowl.

It isn’t often that mobile quarterbacks win Super Bowls. Daunte Culpepper never did, Donovan McNabb never did, Randall Cunningham, and the most recent example is Aaron Rodgers. Now, the mobile quarterback is elevating teams to levels that we haven’t seen before.

Andrew Luck won 11 games with a Colts team that went 2-14 just a year ago, Robert Griffin III took the Redskins to their first division title in 14 years, Rodgers has won both a regular season and Super Bowl MVP in the last three years, Cam Newton has broken plenty records as he acts as the only glimmer of hope that the Panthers stake claim to, and here is Kaepernick being on the verge of a Super Bowl championship.

In the past, the pocket quarterback has been the standard to which all quarterbacks were held. The Tom Bradys, Peyton Mannings, Kurt Warners, and Drew Brees of the world were the only models of quarterback that teams looked to build around.

That came with valid reasoning. Aside from Steve Young and John Elway, no Super Bowl winning quarterback has ever rushed for 3,000 yards. Quarterbacks who run just weren’t prevalent; they weren’t seen as the formula to success. Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, the list goes on when it comes to the pocket passers that have been associated with Super Bowl lore.

In steps Colin Kaepernick as he ushers in the first legitimate era of mobile NFL quarterbacks. The individual statistics of these guys is one thing, but what stands out is the legitimate opportunity for them all to become the best players and winners of their generation.

The fact that they run isn’t the only thing that’s special about Kaepernick and his peers, it’s the combination of passing savvy and legitimate mobility that gives them advantages that defenses can’t prepare for and traditional pocket passers can’t compete with.

In Kaepernick’s short time as a starter, he’s run for more yards in one game (181) than any quarterback ever, amassed a QB rating of at least 100.2 in five of nine starts, and led his team to a Super Bowl all while learning on the job.

So, as Super Bowl Sunday looms closer, there will definitely plenty for us to watch for. Ray Lewis’ last tackle will be bittersweet, Joe Flacco’s last touchdown pass of the season may be the cash cow of the year, and the Harbaugh Brothers may be matching up for their only championship game against one another.

But Colin Kaepernick will end up ushering in an era of explosiveness and athleticism that we haven’t seen in the NFL before. So with each throw, run, and option fake that we see this weekend, enjoy the view. It’s one to get used to for years to come.

I will say it is amazing that over the last few years we have heard every football analyst under the sun talk about how this NFL has changed and now it is a much more offensive driven league and that the quarterback is the key ingredient to success or failure.

Well take a look at who’s in the Super Bowl this year! We have two teams with amazing defenses that ranked in the top 5 in the league in many categories. We also have two very average offenses on each side of the field. With Keapernick playing in only the 10th game of his career and Joe Flacco playing in his first Super Bowl having an average season as far as stats go. It look’s like a good defense still and always will take you to a Super Bowl and no one should ever forget it.

There is another aspect that we need to look at hear that I briefly touched on before and that is the team that gets hot at just the right time is the team that wins the Super Bowl. Very rarely do we see a team that has been good all year go to the big game. It always seems to be some team between 9 and 11 wins that has been sputtering along suddenly break out and kick everyone’s asses without the slightest bit of a signal. This year we have two teams that are both as hot as can be. Frankly, I don’t know who is hotter right now, but if I had to put money on it I would say the Ravens have got that flare in their eyes and all they want to do is win one for Ray Lewis.

With all of that being said, I still can’t find myself rooting for one team over the other and for that I will not be watching this year’s Super Bowl. I will be on the slopes swooshing down the mountain with my wife enjoying the wonderful Colorado air. The rest of you enjoy the game. I’m sorry, but I am too bitter that my team was knocked out and I stand firm on this one. If I had a gun to my head and had to make a decision on who would make me slightly happier, it would be the 49er’s….sorry Baltimore.