With the way that Indianapolis was able to handle the 2012 Super Bowl, the pressure has to be on New Orleans to take it up a notch! The Big Easy is one of the best party towns on earth, so you have to know that they will rise to the challenge. In fact, even though we are still some nine months away from the NFL’s biggest showcase, New Orleans is already geared up and moving along, well into planning. Events have moved past the planning stages and volunteers are applying and being trained for positions.

The Super Bowl is going to take place the weekend between the two Mardi Gras weeks, putting a third punch into the already formidable party atmosphere that New Orleans is known for. As we get closer to the beginning of NFL camps, focus will mainly fall on the big stories from this off-season, such as the fallout from the “bounty” program that the New Orleans Saints were a part of, Peyton Manning’s new home in Denver, how Andrew Luck handles being Indianapolis’ new quarterback, and the New York Giants working towards a championship repeat. This NFL season promises to be exciting and SuperBowlTicketDeals.com will be with you every step of the way with coverage of championship contenders, all-pro performances, and fantasy football previews.

The DoubleTree Hotel New Orleans is conveniently located in suburban New Orleans just off I-10. DoubleTree offers full service hotel accommodations. Only two miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and minutes from the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans. Provide complimentary, 24-hour airport shuttle service for guests.

Package prices are per person based upon double occupancy. Call for single, triple or quad prices.

Hotel Accommodations:

• Sparkling outdoor pool in a beautiful courtyard setting
• Well-equipped 24-hour Fitness Center
• Plentiful, free on-site parking
• Concierge services
• Extended in room dining hours
• Complimentary Internet In All Guest Rooms & Suites
• Room Service Available Until Midnight
• Complimentary Airport Shuttle To/From New Orleans (MSY) International Airport
• Mini Fridge and Microwave In All Guest Rooms

Package Features:

• Three nights accommodations
• Check in Friday February 1st and check out Monday February 4th
• Reserved seat ticket options to Super Bowl XLVII on February 3rd
• Official Super Bowl XLVII Souvenirs
• Breakfast each morning at your hotel
• SuperBowlTicketDeals.com credential holder and lanyard
• SuperBowlTicketDeals.com hospitality staff on site during entire stay
• All taxes and gratuities included

Wyndham Garden Baronne Plaza hotel is located in the heart of downtown New Orleans. Wyndham Garden Baronne Plaza is full of amenities that provide comfortable guest rooms and casual dining options. Flexible meeting space allows for planning weddings, family reunions, and small business meetings. Some locations have indoor or outdoor pool.

Package prices are per person based upon double occupancy. Call for single, triple or quad prices.

Hotel Accommodations:

• Daily breakfast at the hotel
• Garage parking
• Same-day dry cleaning
• Shuttle service
• Business Center services
• Late check-out
• Complimentary local calls
• Coffee/tea
• Fitness center

Package Features:

• Four nights accommodations
• Check in Thursday January 31st and check out Monday February 4th
• Reserved seat ticket options to Super Bowl XLVII on February 3rd
• Official Super Bowl XLVII Souvenirs
• Breakfast each morning at your hotel
• SuperBowlTicketDeals.com credential holder and lanyard
• SuperBowlTicketDeals.com hospitality staff on site during entire stay
• All taxes and gratuities included

It’s already been a wild off-season for the NFL. The biggest free agent in the history of the league, Peyton Manning, left his midwestern life behind and casted his lot with John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Fan favorite Tim Tebow was dealt to the New York Jets, which pretty much guarantees he’ll get even more media exposure. The New Orleans Saints were handed stiff penalties for promoting a defensive bounty program, and unless there is a successful appeal, they will be without head coach Sean Payton next season. Don’t forget the NFL draft is coming up and word is the Indianapolis Colts could be wavering on selecting Stanford’s Andrew Luck and may go with Robert Griffin, out of Baylor University, instead.

As usual, NFL free agency is a hit-and-miss affair for fans. The biggest names usually get the franchise tag from their respective teams, and some of the high dollar players are allowed to move on for salary considerations. With so much talent on each NFL squad and in the NFL Draft, it’s not as easy to count on free agency as a way to make huge improvements the way it is in baseball or basketball. A couple of highly sought after free agents this off-season were Green Bay Packer backup quarterback Matt Flynn and Oakland Raider tailback Michael Bush. Both players made visits to teams competing for their services and both came away with nice contracts and situations that are ideal for their talents.

Flynn was the second-most sought after quarterback after Peyton Manning. The Miami Dolphins made a big push for Flynn, but he wound up signing with the Seattle Seahawks, giving their fans a shot of excitement. He’ll have two solid wide outs to throw the ball to in Mike Williams and Sydney Rice. Seattle is expected to be led offensively by Marshawn Lynch once again, but their passing game made it easy for teams to key on stopping the run as Tavaris Jackson just didn’t pass muster as a starting NFL quarterback. Flynn is expected to be able to push the ball up the field more and punish teams that load the box to stop the run. He started one game last year for the Packers and he was sensational, passing for 480 yards and six touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. Seattle Seahawk fans shouldn’t expect those sorts of numbers very often, but they should see a marked improvement in the passing game.

In Oakland, the Raiders had a great one-two punch in running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. The two combined for almost 1,600 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. McFadden wrestled the starting nod away from Bush in training camp and was great early, but injuries slowed him down, allowing Bush to prove his worth as a top flight runner. Bush led the team with 977 yards rushing and was also the Raiders second leading receiver, grabbing 37 passes for 418 yards and a score. Bush became a free agent and the Bengals seemed to be a good situation for him, until they signed former New England Patriot Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, which paved the way for the Chicago Bears to make a run at the former tailback from the University of Louisville. Bush will still be a backup, but the Bears are a run first team that will likely give plenty of carries to Bush and use him in short yard situations, especially around the goal line. Matt Forte is one of the best kept secrets in the NFL and will continue to see the bulk of the action, with Bush available to take pressure off of him. Obviously, the Bears are really making an effort to bolster their offense and win now. The additions of Bush and wide receiver Brandon Marshall are sure to give the team a shot in the arm and their fans some optimism going into 2012.

Manning had also been courted by the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49’ers and Miami Dolphins. The four-time NFL MVP has left a lot of fans disappointed in the wake of this announcement, but Denver is brewing with excitement. Several Bronco players, including Elvis Dumervil and Willis McGahee celebrated the news on Twitter. Dumervil’s Tweet included; “What a power move!” While there is excitement in Denver there was disappointment in Tennessee. “I was hoping we would win out,” Titans owner Bud Adams told The Tennessean. I thought we’d be ahead of Denver. I thought he’d want to stay in Tennessee.”

While the Broncos seemed to be ready to go with Tebow as their quarterback of the future, John Elway and Bronco management couldn’t resist making a move on a proven veteran for a team that is ready to win now. Manning has won two AFC championships and a Super Bowl in his career as well as being third on the all-time list for touchdown passes, completions, and passing yardage. The Broncos ran Manning through a rigorous battery of tests and a complete physical and are feeling good about the health of their soon to be superstar quarterback. In fact, he also passed physicals for Tennessee and San Francisco according to ESPN.com.

At age 36, it seems as though Peyton Manning will have several seasons to return another franchise to its glory days. Two other more recent quarterbacks who left their Super Bowl teams in search for greener pastures at the end of their careers played well, but were unable to get their new teams to a championship level. Will Manning go the way of Joe Montana and Brett Favre, or will he be the answer to Denver’s passing woes and lead them to the pinnacle of the NFL? Time will tell the answer to that, but one thing we can be sure of, the biggest story of the off-season will be one of the most followed storylines of the 2012 NFL season.

After one season out of football, Randy Moss is back in the show. Moss signed a one year deal with the San Francisco 49’ers, but had also worked out for the New Orleans Saints, who just re-signed their leading receiver, Marques Colston. Moss is 35 years old and is hoping to exit the NFL on a better note than the 2010 season, which saw him play for three different teams and set career lows in almost every statistical category.

Moss began his NFL career after two incredible seasons at Marshall University. He originally signed to play for Notre Dame, but the school decided to revoke the offer after Moss was involved in a fight at his high school. His next offer came from Florida State, but he never played a game for them. He violated the terms of his probation by testing positive for marijuana use and was dismissed from the team. Faced with sitting out a full season, Moss transferred to the division I-AA Marshall University program where he caught 54 touchdowns in two seasons and finished the 1997 season as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Even though he was considered to have super star potential, 20 picks went by in the NFL Draft before he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings. Most teams were scared off by his prior legal troubles and were not willing to risk their first round selection on him.

Moss, in his rookie season, was part of one of the more explosive offenses in NFL history. The Vikings set a points scored record in 1998 and Moss contributed 69 catches, over 1,300 yards, and 17 touchdowns. Numbers like those were a part of almost every season Randy Moss spent in Minnesota. After the 2004 season, Moss moved on to the Oakland Raiders where he spent two, mostly uninspired seasons, which saw his production drop off dramatically. The New England Patriots acquired Moss for a fourth round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. He would go on to have a spectacular debut season with the Patriots and was a favorite target of Tom Brady, as he hauled in 23 touchdowns, helping the team reach the Super Bowl. 2008 and 2009 were both productive years for Moss in New England, but his numbers were pedestrian by his own standards and it was apparent that age was starting to creep up on Moss. He was released by the Patriots during the 2010 season and hooked up with the Vikings again for a few games, before they released him and he finished up with the Tennessee Titans.

Now, Randy Moss is back after sitting out the entire season of 2011. He worked out for San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh and other team officials and was signed the same day. It’s thought that Moss will help the San Francisco offense by allowing quarterback Alex Smith to stretch the field and perhaps take pressure off of the talented Michael Crabtree. Smith had a very solid season, leading the ‘Niners to the NFC championship game, but only had two reliable receivers in tight end Vernon Davis and Crabtree. They were the only two offensive players to catch more than 20 passes from Smith. If Moss can draw double coverage away from Davis or Crabtree, it should help open up the offense and perhaps even help to improve an already sound running game. In an age where many athletes compete at a high level all the way up to and sometimes beyond their 40th birthday, Randy Moss has an opportunity to shine once again in the NFL. San Francisco is obviously searching to add another dimension to their steady offense and if athleticism, speed, and sure handedness are what they need, Moss certainly seems to fit that bill. In an off-season brewing with major storylines, this signing only adds to the excitement of what the 2012 NFL season promises to bring.

The so called “pay for performance” or “bounty” program is a violation of NFL rules. Players, coaches, and even agents have been rumored to have put up money that is distributed to defensive players for interceptions and sacks, but it takes a turn for the worse when that money is also available to players who knock specific players out of a game. The NFL says that 22 of 29 Saints defensive players between the 2009 and 2011 seasons were participants, with Williams administering the pay-outs. In a memo sent out to all teams by the NFL, it states that Saints linebacker Jonathon Vilma put up $10,000 before a playoff game and players such as Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Kurt Warner have been targets over the past few seasons.

As news of the investigation began to spread, it’s been revealed that Williams may also have had similar programs when he coached the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills. The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have not commented on what sort of disciplinary action will take place, but it’s likely to leave fingerprints on more than one club. The NFL investigation said that Saints head coach Sean Payton knew of the program but didn’t step in to stop or discourage it. Williams was recently hired by new St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fischer to become the team’s defensive coordinator. As of this writing, the Rams have not offered comment, other than an apology from Williams; “It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.” [1]

This is the time of the off-season where teams and fans are looking forward to the NFL Draft and thinking about the future of their teams. This scandal will likely dominate the news and over shadow regular NFL business such as free agency, the franchise tagging of top free agents, and trade talks. It’s an ugly stain on the NFL after it had enjoyed such a tremendous season, playoff, and Super Bowl.

Source:
[1] http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82757bcd/article/nfl-says-saints-created-bounty-program-from-2009-to-2011

Robert Griffin, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Baylor University, made a tremendous impact at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Griffin could have the Indianapolis Colts thinking about whether they want to select Andrew Luck or not with the first overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Both quarterbacks are regarded as NFL ready by most scouts, fans, and analysts.

Griffin put up a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, which is better than any quarterback’s time since Michael Vick in 2001. Griffin also scored well in the vertical jump hitting the 39 inch mark and reached ten feet in the broad jump. Griffin obviously has all the athletic tools a franchise would look for when trying to find their quarterback of the future. His numbers across the board were very similar to last year’s most talked about combine participant, Carolina Panther quarterback Cam Newton.

Collegiately, Griffin wasn’t just an athletic threat at Baylor University. He also excelled in the class room with a GPA of 3.67, obtained a political science degree and began work on a master’s degree in communications. On the field, Griffin was a shining star. He started 11 of 12 games as a freshman, being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. In the third game of his sophomore season, he tore an ACL in his knee and was given a red-shirt season. The injury didn’t serve to slow him down at all as he came back the next season and put up sensational numbers as a passer and a runner. In the 2010 season he threw for over 3,500 yards while tossing 22 touchdown passes and running for eight more on 635 rushing yards.

His red-shirt junior year would be his last season as a collegiate player and Griffin made it count. Baylor was picked to finish 6th in the Big 12, but the Bears didn’t seem to buy into it. On the arm and legs of Griffin they had a great season, finishing 10-3, including victories over four top 25 teams. The Bears won the Alamo Bowl with a thrilling 67-56 victory over Washington. It was the first Baylor bowl victory since 1992 and the program has Griffin to thank for its success. Griffin put up big numbers again, throwing for just under 4,000 yards, running for 600 more and participating in 42 Baylor scores. Those numbers and the sensational season for his team earned him the Heisman Trophy, as well as the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year.

Most NFL analysts believed Griffin would be a high pick in the draft before the combine, but after his success in the athletic drills his stock moved up into elite territory. NFL rumors reported by ESPN say that he also impressed several teams in interviews, including Kansas City, Washington, Miami, and Indianapolis. Each of those teams has a need at quarterback and would love the opportunity to select a top-notch talent like Griffin or Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The St. Louis Rams own the second selection and have discussed trading the pick. It’s assumed that they are going to want four picks (including 2 number ones) for the rights to draft Griffin or Luck, which will depend on who the Colts take at number one. That would be a deal that is very similar to the one that the San Diego Chargers got when they dealt Eli Manning to the New York Giants in 2004. Regardless of where he winds up starting his NFL career, you can bet that Griffin will be on the field sooner rather than later. His talent is as good as it gets and one fortunate NFL team will be starting the “Griffin Era” for their franchise in 2012!

Without a doubt the story of the NFL offseason has been, and will be about, Peyton Manning and where he will find himself playing in the 2012 season. Will it be Washington, Miami, or will he wind up a New York Jet? Is New York big enough for both Mannings? With all the focus being on where Manning will play, there is a piece of the pie that some observers overlook; the Andrew Luck factor. Luck is sure to be the first choice of the NFL draft and that pick belongs to the Indianapolis Colts. The biggest part of how the Colts approach the Peyton Manning situation could very well be how they feel about Luck and his readiness to be the starting quarterback in Indianapolis right away. Who is Andrew Luck and what has he done that has Colt ownership, as well as the fans, prepared to move on from a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Fame quarterback?

Andrew Luck is the son of former Houston Oiler signal caller, Oliver Luck. Much of his younger days were spent in Europe where his father held general manager positions in the World League of American Football. The Luck’s eventually moved back to the United States and Houston, Texas where Andrew attended high school. Luck, with the benefit of having a father who was a former NFL quarterback, had a great high school career on the field and off. He was the co- valedictorian of his senior class and in his football career he threw for over 7,000 yards and connected for 53 touchdown passes. As a result, Luck was a highly rated recruit and picked up offers from schools such as Oklahoma State, Purdue, and Virginia, before settling on Stanford University as his college of choice.

At the college level, Luck began his career playing for Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach for the San Francisco 49’ers. After redshirting his freshman year, Harbaugh opened up the competition for quarterback and Luck became the first freshman to win the starting job since Chad Hutchinson did it in 1996. Luck flourished, leading the PAC-10 in passing efficiency with a rating of 143.5 and finished second in the league in total offense. Luck injured his hand in the final game of the season against Notre Dame and was unable to play in the Sun Bowl, which he had led Stanford to. There would be better days for him though as his second season saw him become one of college football’s top players. In 2010, Luck broke several school records that had long been held by NFL Hall of Famer John Elway. He threw 32 touchdown passes, completed just over 70% of his throws and had an incredible efficiency rating of 170.2. Luck’s big numbers turned into wins, as the Cardinal finished 4th in the nation, with a 12-1 record, and a victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. After only two seasons, Luck was being called the most NFL ready player in college football. He temporarily gave moving on to the NFL consideration, but decided to return to Stanford for another season.

2011 proved to be another big year for Luck and his teammates at Stanford. Luck broke his own touchdown passing mark and was named the PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. In addition to the single season accolades, Luck also wrote his name in the Stanford career record books, throwing for 10,387 yards and 82 scores in his three seasons. Luck’s Stanford team once again finished in the top 10 nationally, finishing at 7th, after losing to Oklahoma State in overtime at the Fiesta Bowl.

While he broke many Stanford quarterback records, Luck also set new PAC-10 records for passing. His career passing percentage in the league was 67% and his efficiency rating for league games was 162.8. He also holds the league record for highest completion percentage in a season with 71.3%. Nationally, Luck was the winner of the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, as well as being the Heisman Trophy runner-up and first team All-American both on the football field and academically. Luck’s legacy as a collegiate player is cemented. The NFL scouts see him as a prototype quarterback. He has good arm strength, size, speed, and agility, as well as having the intelligence to call his own plays in reaction to the defense, as he did at times in his collegiate days. His future certainly looks bright as he heads to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Perhaps while he is there he can check out the city and get comfortable. It looks like Luck is simply making a preliminary trip to his new home at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The week after the big game has been all about Eli Manning, Tom Brady’s wife, Butterfingers being dumped into Boston Harbor (in honor of Wes Welker), and the terrific job Indianapolis did putting on the Super Bowl. Just under the surface however, there is a story that has been bubbling for weeks. Now it can rise to the top and be the biggest story in the off-season.

In about a month, Peyton Manning is due a $28 million bonus, and that’s a check that isn’t likely to be written by the Indianapolis Colts. Perhaps Manning deserves that money. After all, he is the quarterback that resurrected this franchise and is at least partially responsible for the ability of the city to build the beautiful Lucas Oil Stadium. He’s brought renewed notoriety and a Super Bowl victory to the Indianapolis Colt franchise. All that being true, $28 million is still $28 million, and that’s money that could very well help the franchise carve out its future in a different way when they almost assuredly will choose Stanford superstar quarterback Andrew Luck in the NFL draft. If the Colts release Manning before the March 8th, he will become a free-agent and the Colts can keep that money. It truly would defy logic for the Colts to do anything other than terminate the current contract that they have Manning inked to.

If the Colts releasing Manning is a given, what happens next? The speculation is that the record-setting, Super Bowl winning quarterback will explore the free-agent market. There are plenty of teams out there that could use a seasoned professional running their offense, with the Washington Redskins being one of them. The Redskins have gone years without a quarterback they can rely on from one season to the next, having used Jason Campbell, Rex Grossman, John Beck, and recycling Donovan McNabb. This would be a place Manning could step into and play out the next few seasons with little heat coming from behind. Washington owner Daniel Snyder has the pockets to outbid everyone for Manning, so I’m saying they are the top possibility should he switch franchises. Another top contender could be the Miami Dolphins. The ‘Fins are another team that just can’t settle into a quarterback. Matt Moore and Chad Henne are both promising players, but even at their best, they would not be able to bring what the future Hall of Famer Manning can bring. In Miami, their fans are openly enthusiastic about Manning, making sure they note the weather, offensive tools like Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall, and the fact that Manning has a condo in southern Florida, as reasons why he’d be a natural fit. Not to mention that any place Manning winds up, that franchise will likely see a boost in ticket sales. Meanwhile, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. If, or more likely when, the Colts release Manning, it’s not as if he would have to sever ties with the franchise. It would only terminate his current contract, leaving him free to negotiate a new deal. Perhaps a deal that would be incentive laden, which would make sense, given the injury Manning has had to deal with. A deal with the Colts would allow him to play out his career in the city he says he loves and be a mentor to Luck. I’m sure in a perfect world, this is the way the involved parties would like to see this play out.

One other issue remains in regards to what has the potential to be the greatest free-agent chase in NFL history; Peyton Manning’s health. There are reports from both the NFL Network and ESPN that Manning hasn’t fully recovered. Those reports say that he doesn’t have the velocity to be effective at this point. He is even said to have trouble throwing to his left side. If these reports are accurate, that will play a major part in what happens with Manning’s future. It’s football and if you can’t play, you don’t get paid. The wild ride of the NFL off-season has been set in motion and we only have to wait a few weeks to see Peyton Manning mania become the hot topic in the sports world.

The Super Bowl is one of sport’s biggest events. It’s a worldwide celebration and fans flocked to Indianapolis this past week to enjoy the NFL championship and enjoy a top notch vacation. In 2013, the Super Bowl will be in New Orleans, one of the premiere good time destinations in the world. You can be there and it’s never too early to start looking ahead. When you decide to start making your plans, be sure to start with SuperBowlTicketDeals.com, a full-service ticket package provider. Surf the web over to their interactive and informational site, www.SuperBowlTicketDeals.com, or give them a call at 855-NFLTIXS!