2012 WROTC NFL Awards

Time has flown by and the NFL regular season is over.  Playoffs and the march to New Orleans is on.  Time to hand out some awards.  This is the 3rd Edition of the WROTC NFL Awards.  Enjoy!

Play of the Year

Matt - Russell Wilson's game winning interception...errr Touchdown

Wendt - Golden Tate's game winning TD against the Packers
Painter - Fail Mary - showed how unprepared the replacement officlas were

Blake - Russell Wilson to MD Jennings to Golden Tate

Zach - Fail Mary

Game of the Year

Matt - Packers at Vikings - Week 17 - So much on the line for both teams, Peterson and the NFC Playoff picture.  They didn't disappoint.   

Wendt - Houston over Detroit (Turkey Day game)

Painter - Green Bay at Seattle (good battle despite the bad officiating both ways)

Blake - San Francisco vs New England - SNF 

Zach - San Francisco vs New England - SNF

Offensive Player of the Year

Matt - Adrian Peterson - Vikings - What he's done this year after surgery is amazing.

Wendt - Peyton Manning - Broncos

Painter - Adrian Peterson - Vikings

Blake - Peyton Manning - Broncos

Zach - Adrian Peterson - Vikings

Defensive Player of the Year

Matt - JJ Watt - Texans - I'd love to give it to a Bear like Jennings or Tillman, can't though.  

Wendt - JJ Watt - Texans

Painter - JJ Watt - Texans

Blake - Aldon Smith - 49ers

Zach - Charles Tillman - Bears

Special Teams Player of the Year

Matt - Brandon Fields - Dolphins - 50 yd avg on punts and 26 inside the 20

Wendt - Blair Walsh

Painter - Blair Walsh

Blake - None have really stuck out.  Maybe Greg Zuerlein

Zach - Jacoby Jones - Texans

Rookie of the Year

Matt - RG3 - Redskins - A pure spark to that team and organization.  Luck and Wilson are right there too.

Wendt - Andrew Luck - Colts

Painter - hate to go with a QB but RGIII (Casey Hayward would be my vote for defensive rookie)

Blake - Tough one, but I'll go Andrew Luck.  Can't go wrong with RG3 either.

Zach - Andrew Luck - Colts

Coach of the Year

Matt - The Colts Staff - What they've done with a team that sucked last year, a rookie QB is amazing.

Wendt - Mike Shanahan - Redskins

Painter - Bruce Arians - Colts

Blake - As much as it pains me to say it, Pete Carroll.  Bruce Arians 2nd if you consider him eligible.

Zach - Entire Colts Staff

Most Impactful Injury

Matt - Alex Smith getting knocked out and thus getting Wally Pipped by Collin Kaepernick.

Wendt - Kevin Kolb - Cardinals

Painter - Brian Urlacher (the Bears win at least 1 more game and make the playoffs with him)

Blake - For once I'm not sure there has been a defining one, especially coming off the blood bath that was last year.  Maybe Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher

Zach - Alex Smith's concussion leading to Collin Kaepernick starting

Biggest Surprise

Matt - Seattle's offensive explosion.  The Bengals with Andy Dalton in back to back playoffs.  The Bears go from 7-1 to home for the playoffs at 10-6.

Wendt - Indianpolis Colts

Painter - Minnesota Vikings making the playoffs

Blake - In some order; Saints suck, Colts are decent, Peyton Manning is Peyton Manning, the Seahawks are pretty darn good.

Zach - Adrian Peterson resurgent return post-injury

Biggest Disappointment

Matt - The Steelers and Giants not making the post season, Philly's collapse too.

Wendt - Kansas City Chiefs

Painter - Tie:  Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears (hot starts, cold finishes)

Blake - Again, in some order; the Saints suck, and so do the Giants and the Steelers

Zach - New Orleans Saints season

Des Moines Sports Freaks Friday 6 Pack

1.   The Packers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs and perfection is lost.  Is this a good thing for the Packers to lose in the regular season? 

Matt – I think for the Packers it takes a little stress of them and will help them “refocus” and I still think they get to atleast the NFC Title game if not Super Bowl

Wendt – I never understood why people thought a loss was a good thing? Helps you re-focus? Huh? Their paid NFL players, their focus every week is to win

Painter – Yes, now they don't have the added pressure of not losing and it gives them a chance to really focus on what needs to be fixed

Blake – Yes.  They had been looking vulnerable for a couple weeks.  This will refocus them.  16-0 doesn't mean anything if they lose in the playoffs

BSox – No, Someone needs to shut Mercury Morris up. God I hate listening to him

Zach – Actually, no. It shows they are mortal, they have some issues on each side of the ball and how teams can beat them

2.  The shortened NBA Season starts on Christmas – it will end in June or July when we are all playing golf and softball….who wins the NBA Title?

Matt – I’m going to say its Bulls vs Lakers in the finals and Bulls beat down Kobe

Wendt – A short season might actually hurt veteran teams  (from having to play so many games in a small amount of time) I'm going to go ahead and go out on a limb and take the Miami Heat to win the title (and I just threw up a little in my mouth)

Painter – The champs usually come out of nowhere, I'll say the Pacers

Blake – If you put a gun to my head, I'll say the Heat

BSox – I’ll be a homer and go with Miami. They’ll have another season to gel, and maybe get their %$#@ together

Zach – Laugh all you want, but if this were the year to do it: it would be the Thunder to make a rumble in the NBA. I take them over New York in Finals.

3.   Christmas Night we will have Chicago vs Green Bay on Monday Night and the NBA comes back with a Finals Rematch of Dallas vs Miami and then the Lakers vs Bulls too.  Which game is the better game?

Matt – I remember when we always had MJ & the Bulls on Christmas night….but the NFL is still the NFL.  If Jay was healthy and if the Bears were about 10-4 or 11-3 going into this game, it would be HUGE!

Wendt – Green Bay/Chicago will be a bloodbath. I'll be watching Bulls/Lakers for sure!

Painter – Better game in terms of competition?  Probably Lakers/Bulls.  Which game means more?  Chicago/Green Bay (thanks to Pittsburgh losing to San Fransisco on Monday night)

Blake – Lakers/Bulls.  We'll see the retooled Bulls lineup with Rip Hamilton, and see just how far the Lakers have fallen.  The Bears are toast, and there'll be plenty of chances to vomit while watching the Heat this year

BSox – Chicago/green bay – not much on the line for this early in the season, not enough drama for it to out do NFL

Zach – If I have to pick between the two: Dallas/Miami. Kobe won't be healthy --> Lakers aren't as good

4.  Iowa beat Drake this past weekend in Basketball, and will apparently be the end of the BIG 4 matchups in Iowa.  Do you like Iowa and ISU cancelling these series?

Matt – The 4 teams should play each other.  I don’t want to see Iowa play more Campbells or South Dakota States.  Play all Drake and UNI…its good for the state!

Wendt – I don't know the financial implications from the games so I really don't know. If it's cheaper to play somebody else than I'm all for saving money (and saving face by not getting beat by the Missouri Valley)

Painter – A game is a game, although sometimes it's better to schedule cupcakes in order to get into a rhythm

Blake – NO!!!  Man up.  Play home and homes.  Unfortunately, money talks too, and they Hawks and Clones can afford to bully the Panthers and Bulldogs around.  On the other hand, I'm more apt to go to the games now that they could be played at the Well

BSox – No, Drake is a decent program. They should be playing, what’s difference between playing central arkansas or central michigan. Not much. Drake at least would bring some interest

Zach – No. Keep tradition. If it ain't broke, don't fix it

5.  The DSM Sports Freaks Fantasy Football Championship will come down to Team Just the Tip vs the Blackhawks….who takes home the title?

Matt – Well since I got beat by Team Just the Tip, I’m going with them.

Wendt – The Blackhawks are taking the title (or belt as I have come to find out goes to the winner) Just the Tip is too beat up and was lucky to pull off the W this week

Painter – Rodgers + Nelson + Lambeau = fantasy points galore.  I'm taking The Tip

Blake – I've moved on to Fantasy Basketball

BSox – Don’t care lol

Zach – The Blackhawks. They've kicked me in the tail twice so I'll go that direction

6.   What is the best christmas gift you’ve ever got?

Matt – My grandma used to always get me a box of football cards, that was pretty awesome. 

Wendt – I got  Castle Grayskull  when I was younger (not sure the age) and it was the first thing that popped into my head this morning so I'll go with that as my best christmas gift ever.

Painter – If this was going to be posted after Saturday I'd say the laptop I'm getting this year but I'm going to go with our digital camera.  It may not be the best in the world but it has captured some amazing memories

Blake – In college we used to do a Porn Gift exchange, complete with Pornaments on the Christmas Tree.  I'm not sure what the  best gift is that I've ever gotten, but now that I'm old, I like to reminisce about the good old days and the good, wholesome Porn gift exchange

BSox – PS3 – got it last year, and have played nonstop sense. Got me off world of warcraft, and that’s good right?

Zach – I'll go best sports-related gift: An autographed team football from the 2002 squad of the Hawkeyes (got hammered to USC in Orange Bowl). Well, at least they never got into trouble