Are You Ready for Some Cross-Promotion?

Once again I'm turning in my homework a bit late, but here are some thoughts from last night's Monday night affair between the Broncos and the Ravens.

The pregame talk was about the weather and who it would affect most. The consensus was that the quarterbacks would be hampered most, losing the ability to roll out or keep a good grip on the ball. After watching the game tho, it was obvious that the ones hurt most by the weather were the Broncos' cheerleaders, who had to bundle up to protect themselves from the element. So much talent and they weren't able to showcase any of it. It was if Marty Schottenheimer were the cheerleading coordinator. So disappointing...

If you're like me, anytime you're watching a football game between two Super Bowl contenders, you think to yourself, "There's only one thing that could make this game better. What if instead of listening to play-by-play, there was an interview with a soap opera star during the action? That would be sweet." Well, ABC got your letters and emails and responded by giving Tony Kornheiser five good minutes with some actor from Desperate Housewives while the Broncos had the ball. These in-game interviews now give TK two things to contribute during a broadcast- shill for the network and announce who's on his fantasy team- and both of them are useless. Given how committed ABC is to using Monday Night Football as a cross-promotional tool, I'm surprised that instead of Kornheiser, they didn't just hire Elisabeth Hasselbeck to be the third person in the booth...

This season, I've heard a couple interviews with Ray Lewis where he claims that he believes he is the most dominant defensive player in football. I understand that confidence is key to success, but Ray-Ray is delusional. At this stage in his career, he's maybe the fourth best defensive player on his own team. Chris McAllister, Terrell Suggs, and Ed Reed have all surpassed him at this point. If that wasn't evident when the season began, then Tatum Bell giving him a piggyback ride for 5 yards definitely drove the point home that Lewis is on the downside of his career. Ray Lewis' overblown sense of his skills reminds me a lot of Shaquille O'Neal the last few season. While still good, neither are still the dominant force they once were; however both play with an identical mindset. Where there minds differ however is once the game is over, as Shaq has aspirations to fight against crime in his spare time, whereas Ray favors obstructing the investigation of murder cases. But other than that, one and the same.