This quote by Randy Cross of the 49ers brings back memories of the 49ers complete waxing of the Broncos in Super Bowl XIV. What a dud of a game.

“The only thing Denver won was the coin toss.”

Patriots Wide Receiver Tiquan Underwood with the token crazy haircut of Super Bowl XLVI media day.

[photo Getty]

[On Sunday] Tebow threw for 316 yards against the best defense in the NFL. His average per yard was 31.6. The peak in viewer ratings was 31.6. All of this on Jan 8, the three year anniversary of Tebow wearing John 3:16 in the 2009 National Championship Game which sparked 90 million Google searches for John 3:16.

via tebowseyeblack

It looks like Tim Tebow has converted yet another new fan.

“Giants fan but wow. #Tebow Thats what the **** a champion looks like.” — @ladygaga

Top hats and Advil. Adrian Peterson’s New Year’s was mad real.

It appears Nike has finally picked up on Marshawn Lynch’s love of Skittles. Note to NFL defences: Get ready to taste the rainbow.

Jerome Simpson is a freak, plain and simple. In a play that looked straight out of Madden, the Bengals receiver took flight Saturday scoring a touchdown while front flipping over Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington.

Have a look see for yourself.

When reached, Cincinnati aviation officials had no comment on whether or not Simpson needed clearance for his spur of the moment voyage.

The Failed Athlete Always Returns

As the year winds down to a close, I’ve found myself sorting through my favorite sports writing of the year. The one profile that’s struck me the most is that of former number one pick and Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell from Sports Illustrated.

Russell has been out of football for several years, and in the piece, he speaks his mind from his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, where he’s retreated to be surrounded by his family and friends, miles away from the criticism and mockery that’s followed him since his fall out of football.

In the story, Russell addresses reports that he has a drug problem, that he’s in serious financial trouble and that his own life coach John Lucas fired him.

Tracing the steps from his entry into the NFL to the eventual fall out, you can’t help but wonder how all the variables came together to put Russell, a 24 year old football player with no significant physical injuries, is anywhere except for making a comeback on the field.

But in some serene way, it seems as though Russell is at ease with all that’s gone on: “Right now I’m enjoying being me. I’m in a good place. Sometimes being a professional athlete, you feel like you can’t live. You’re under a microscope. Anything you do is on Twitter, Facebook—I’m a human being first. So now, I’m at peace.”

But as we all know, troubled athletes are not often denied second chances. The troubles are mostly their own doing, but you rarely find teams that aren’t desperate for talent to take a chance. There’s always something tantalizing about what could’ve been, and that translates into what could be, and that means Russell will find his way back into football one way or another.

The only variable that can take that away is his own desire for the game. But to hear Russell tell it, it seems that football is still in his plans: “There’s a part of me that wants to play football till I can’t walk. I miss it, yeah.”

This profile of Russell does not redeem all his own faults and wrongdoings, but it at least opens the door for a potential return. That door is always welcomed provided he wants to step through.

- steven lebron

Follow @steven_lebron on twitter.

After Sunday’s 45-19 loss against the Eagles, this is what a Jets fan looks like.

Sorry, Gary Vee

San Francisco 49ers strong safety, Tim McDonald, jokes with the media about the apparent lift the team received from Joe Montana’s presence after the hall of fame QB’s jersey was retired at halftime of the Broncos/49ers game on December 15, 1997. The 49ers won the game, 34-17.

“The next home game, maybe we’ll retire Joe’s Notre Dame jersey.”

This Bart Starr quote comes to us from the Sports Quotation Man, he’s got some definite sports quote game.

“When you played for Lombardi, anything other then death was a minor injury.” — Bart Starr, on Vince Lombardi