I look forward to attacks from my regular critics regarding this post. I’m sure claims of being a “homer” and provincial will be forthcoming. Let the comments fly…

I am indeed a card-carrying Patriots fan, but I used to root for the Chargers, too, before all their recent whining. Also, hard for even me to believe, I was once an avid New York (football) Giants’ fan back in the 50s and early 60s.

Am I simply looking through my Patriots-colored glasses, or is there a genuine lack of interest for this year’s Super Bowl?  Maybe the Obama inauguration put a damper on football talk this past week. Whatever the reason, I’m sure the ratings will be decent. However, does anyone outside of Arizona or Pittsburgh really care who wins? The NFC is probably being represented by its worst team in years – and the Steelers lack the star-power of recent AFC entries…like Brady or Manning and their high-flying offenses.

That said, it could be a good game, depending which Cardinals’ team shows up. Will it be the team who has shocked the football world during the playoffs, or the one who lost 3 of their last 5 regular-season games by a total of 89 points?

As for Pittsburgh, they need a better performance from Roethlisberger than the pitiful game he had in the Steelers win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL. His 22.6 QB rating in that game is the lowest of any quarterback in Super Bowl history. The previous low was 51.9 by Elway in Super Bowl XXXII. For those who forget, Big Ben was a pathetic 9-21 for 123-yards and 2 interceptions. Ugh.

So, let the hype begin. It’s America’s greatest sports spectacle. Let’s just hope the game isn’t as boring as the teams participating.

For what it’s worth, look for Arizona and their incredible wide-receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, to steal the show and walk away with the trophy.

New York Governor David Paterson couldn’t be more accurate when describing the crash of US Airways flight 1549 by calling it, “a miracle on the Hudson.” Believe me, this was indeed a miracle. Watching the video of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger crash-land into the Hudson River was truly remarkable. That everyone onboard survived is equally amazing.

As I watched this incredible event, I reflected on my airline near-misses and the many frightful moments experienced during my numerous years as a business air-traveler.

For many years, I flew multiple flights per week. I was a million-mile frequent flyer on two airlines. With that much flying, you might expect I have more near-miss stories than space here allows. I’ll share a few incidents with you, including a plane crash that actually saved my life…

There was the flight over Pittsburgh when the plane was hit by lightening; the snowy, December landing attempt at O’Hare in Chicago when the pilot pulled-out at the last second due to potentially faulty landing gear – then attempting to land again not knowing if the gear would hold; the sudden braking on take-off in Atlanta when a plane unbelievably crossed our runway path; the stormy ride from Chicago to Providence, which I swore we were not going to make it; the wind shear at DFW when I had no hope we would land safely; the snowy, harrowing landing at the ever-dangerous Reno-Tahoe Airport.

Those were just a few. However, none was more heart-thumping than the story of how a plane crash actually saved my life. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

It was the early 1980s. I was on a flight from New York to New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was a very small Cessna aircraft. I sat two seats behind the pilot. As we approached the seaport village of New Bedford, there was pouring rain, fog, and limited visibility. I couldn’t see the runway. Then, suddenly, I knew we were in trouble when the pilot threw the plane down, hit the brakes, and yelled, “Oh, shit!” We immediately began hydroplaning – and I could see the end of the runway, which we were nearing sideways. For sure we were going to topple. Seconds later, we crashed into a muddy field. Fortunately, the plane did not overturn. We came to rest 150 feet from the runway and within a few feet of the woods. There were bumps, bruises, and heart palpitations…but other than that, everyone was fine.

Ironically, that plane crash saved my life.

A few months later, I was in Jacksonville, Florida. I was scheduled to take an early evening flight to Tampa. My flight was booked on Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA), the same airline on which I crashed in New Bedford. (Yes, PBA had routes in Florida, too.)  As I approached Jacksonville Airport, my stomach began churning, and I become very nervous. For the first time in my life, I was suddenly afraid to fly. I immediately asked my salesman to drop me off at the car rental. I would drive to Tampa. He thought I was nuts, as it was a 3 ½ hour ride. However, instinct and fear told me not to fly that night – especially on PBA.

After reaching Tampa that evening, I put on the late news in my hotel room. The emotion I felt as I listened to the news report is hard to describe. It was a combination of numbness, nausea, and shock. The PBA flight on which I was ticketed in Jacksonville crashed just after takeoff. All 13 people on board were killed.

The previous PBA crash in New Bedford just saved my life.

So, to all those aboard US Airways 1549, be thankful of a great pilot – and know that someone special was with you that day. It wasn’t your time. And, as difficult as it may be, get back on a plane as soon as possible. It’s really the safest way to travel.

The Hall of Fame Industry is one of the most prestigious industries in the world. The mission of each Hall of Fame, no matter its category, is a responsibility like no other. Honoring greatness is important to history. Unfortunately, the definition of greatness is a subjective evaluation.

In the case of Jim Rice, recently elected into The National Baseball Hall of Fame (along with Ricky Henderson), he was selected in his 15th and final year on the ballot. Rice’s election is the ultimate example of the arbitrary nature of the selection process. How was it decided that Rice is a Hall of Famer in 2009, but he wasn’t in 1995, 2000, or 2008? A Hall of Famer is a Hall of Famer, no matter the year.

I’m not here to evaluate Rice or to suggest that he does or does not belong in the Hall of Fame. I watched him play his entire career in Boston and always considered him one of the most dangerous hitters of his time. My question is: How could selected members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (the voting body for the National Baseball Hall of Fame) name Rice on only 29.8% of their ballots in his first year of eligibility in 1995 and 76.4% of ballots in 2009? How many home runs or RBI did Rice get the past 15-years to heighten his status?

Halls of Fame have a responsibility to their mission statement and history. They need to constantly reevaluate their election process and to whom they provide the honor of being involved. They also need to better define their criteria so election is less arbitrary than it appears to be today. It’s obvious that The Baseball Writers’ Association of America needs better guidance.

There was a time when the holidays and college bowl games went together like Burns and Allen, Martin and Lewis, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy. Unfortunately, (and thanks to the Bowl Championship Series), the college football bowl games may soon go the way of those great comedic teams. Slow death.

I remember a time when I watched all the major bowls. From the Sugar, Cotton, Gator, and Rose, to the night game at the Orange Bowl – they were all a major part of my holiday season. For football nuts, it was must-watch television. Not so today. Oh, I did catch a couple minutes of a few games – but only as I bumped into them while flipping channels. To be honest, I didn’t even know when the bowls were scheduled. Hell, I even had to check again as to when the Championship game is being played. (January 8th? What’s that all about?)

It’s time the NCAA and their BCS system wake up to the reality of modern day sports and develop a playoff system. From their comments, NCAA officials believe all sports leagues ruin their regular season by having a playoff system, which includes their other NCAA sports. And, the thought of “saving the integrity of the bowls” – whom are they kidding? Did they see the empty seats at many games? Having the bowls be part of a playoff system would add more importance to them – not less.

Developing a playoff system utilizing the bowls is not rocket science. We can’t bring back Abbot and Costello, but we can revitalize the bowls before corporate sponsors bury them by pulling sponsorships.

Wake up NCAA and bowl organizers – your bowl games are on the road to nowhere.