Notes on the floor, notes on the floor. . . .
Just wondering: Not that, you know, Peyton Manning is a one-man franchise, but, if the Colts win the Super Bowl, will Jim Caldwell carry him off on his shoulders? . . .
Shannon Sharpe on the Manning of the hour: “I’m not sure that team, with any other quarterback, wins more than five or six ballgames.” . . .
Pro Bowl? If players keep bailing at the rate they have, Brett Favre’s Labradors may be the NFC’s starting wideouts. . . .
A year ago, everyone was calling Alex Smith and Vince Young busts. Today, they’re Pro Bowlers by default. And you thought Allen Iverson starting in the NBA All-Star Game was a crock. . . .
Even a kicker, Nate Kaeding, has begged out of the Pro Bowl. Seems he hurt himself when two Chargers offensive linemen gave him a wedgie after those three missed field goals against the Jets. . . .
Here’s what we mean by practice makes perfect, kiddies. The Raiders’ Shane Lechler, punter of the decade in the NFL. . . .
An Avs fan’s view from the e-mail bag: “Can we petition the league to move the Minnesota Wild to the Eastern Conference?” Amen, brother. . . .
Say, didn’t you used to be the Ed- monton Oilers? Somewhere, Wayne Gretzky is crying. And it isn’t because the Mrs. just blew the rent money in Vegas. . . .
Newsflash from the Big Apple: The Knicks, in the aftermath of this week’s 50-point home loss to the Mavs, are considering signing Woody Allen to a 10-day contract. . . .
OK, I admit it. I want the Rockies to sign Johnny Damon so, just this once, we can say they acquired a guy the Yankees couldn’t afford. . . . Add Yankees: Only two more weeks before pitchers, catchers and butlers report to their spring training camp. . . .
Amazing. Spring training hasn’t even started and it’s already been a great year for Aaron Cook. How so? Chad Tracy, 20-for-40 off Cook as a D-back, has left the building, having signed with the Cubs. . . .
Had a blast this week doing a piece on Evergreen’s Own Kevin Kouzmanoff. So what did his dad, Marc, think after getting a look at the Indians’ other minor-leaguers after Kevin was drafted by the Tribe in 2003? “They had 200 players — 100 pitchers and 100 position players. I mean, they were good-looking guys. I thought, ‘We don’t have a chance.’ ” . . .
Memo to Greg Oden: Gilbert Arenas says you’re an idiot for letting naked pictures of yourself pop up on the Internet. . . .
Remember a couple of months ago when Iverson bagged the Grizzlies for the Sixers because he didn’t want to play out the rest of his NBA days with a lousy team? How’s that working out for you, A.I.? . . . The Griz went into Friday on a 24-11 run after a 1-8 start. . . .
What, you think J.R. Swish/Miss is the only Nugget prone to bouts of inconsistency? Chauncey B. by the numbers: .385 from the field, .378 from beyond the arc, 15.7 points per in November compared to .476-.459-24.6 in January. . . .
Congrats to George Karl for being named coach of the NBA Western all-stars. Except, of course, you don’t really coach in the NBA All-Star Game. Let me guess. His pregame speech will sound something like this: “Go get ’em, fellas. Oh, and no guns in the locker room.” . . .
Super Bowl prop bet from : How many current NFL players will be arrested during Super Bowl week, over or under 0.5? I’m not sure, but, just so you know, Eugene Robinson has the over. . . . FYI, the Broncos will draft a guard in the second round. You don’t use the 12th pick in the draft on a tailback and not get him some big lugs to run interference. . . .
They say it’s your birthday: Ex-Nuggets’ Jalen Rose (37), and Otis Smith (46), GM of the Magic; Our Town’s own Jill McGill (38); Hickory High hoops coach Gene Hackman (80), and hunting enthusiast Dick Cheney (69). . . .
That’s all for today. I’ve got to go visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Doesn’t everyone in the sports world have to sooner or later?
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com or catch him weekdays 7-10 a.m. on The Score with Armstrong and Shapiro on Mile High Sports Radio-1510 AM.
Fortunate .500 Club
Got good news and bad, Saints fans.
Let’s start with the bad. The Performers Formerly Known as Aints finished .500 in 2008, leaving them in last place in the NFC South. Only five times in the 43-year history of the Super Bowl has a team finished .500 or worse the previous season and won the Super Bowl the next year.
Now for the good news. Four of those five teams have won it all in the past decade, starting with the Rams, who won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 after finishing 4-12 the previous season. Two years later, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI after going 5-11 in 2000.
From 4-12 and 5-11 to Super Bowl champs? It’s called salary cap football, sports fans. Here’s a look at the five teams who’ve finished .500 or below, only to win the Super Bowl the next season:
1982 Redskins: Beat Miami 27-17 in SB XVII; previous season went 8-8, finishing fourth in NFC East.
1999 Rams: Beat Tennessee 23-16 in SB XXXIV; went 4-12 in 1998, last in NFC West.
2000 Ravens: Beat Giants 34-7 in SB XXXV; went 8-8 in 1999, third in AFC Central.
2001 Patriots: Beat St. Louis 20-17 in SB XXXVI; went 5-11 in 2000, last in AFC East.
2007 Giants: Beat Patriots 17-14 in SB XLII; went 8-8 in 2006, third in NFC East.
Five fearless predictions
The Super Bowl is barely a week away, and you know what that means. Yep, stupid questions from the media. Here are five questions Peyton Manning, below, will no doubt hear in the next few days:
“Have you always been Archie’s son?”
“Your bio lists New Orleans as your hometown. Is that the only city you were born in?”
“Did you get royalties for writing the Colts’ playbook?”
“Have you always been older than Eli?”
“The game is so easy for you, it’s as if you know what defense is coming. Do you moonlight as a member of the Patriots’ video department?”
