RealClearSports: Super Bowl Media Day: Senseless, Harmless

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- “Name the Kardashian sisters.’’ Was that an order? Or a request? Rob Gronkowski sat and thought. Maybe better than being asked what kind of tree he would be if he were a tree. But not by much.

Super Bowl media day, when 100 football players, if not all at once, and 100,000 journalists, cameramen and assorted mountebanks -- well, more like 3,000, but it seems like 100,000 -- gather to annoy each other.

“Kim,’’ began Gronkowski, the Patriots’ tight end. “Khloe ...“

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© RealClearSports 2012

RealClearSports: For 49ers and Ravens, Timing Is All Wrong

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO — Something was going to happen. Eli Manning made that observation. Something always does happen. Football, like life, is about timing.

Football, like life, also is about accountability.

Eli and Tom Brady are going to another Super Bowl, verification of their skills and, on pass patterns, their timing.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2012

Newsday (N.Y.): Giants 'D' outshone 49ers counterparts

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SAN FRANCISCO -- The 49ers fans kept chanting "defense,'' and they got defense. From the Giants.

That's the way a team gets to the Super Bowl, by giving the opponent very little. When it counted, that was what the Giants gave San Francisco, controlling the line of scrimmage, controlling the clock. And getting a turnover that turned the game.

Ultimately, that turned the Giants...

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2012 Newsday. All rights reserved.

SF Examiner: Thrilling 49ers season comes to sad end

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

What can we say? What should we say?

Remember that Adlai Stevenson remark, that “it hurts too much to laugh, but I’m too old to cry”?

It’s hard to hold back the tears after this one. As hard as it was for star-crossed Kyle Williams to hold the football.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company

Newsday (N.Y.): San Fran finds its offensive man in Roman

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SAN FRANCISCO -- When Greg Roman came to the lectern in the tent-like facility at Santa Clara that the San Francisco 49ers use for media interviews, he noticed a plastic bottle of water next to the microphone.

He reached for it, halted and then, with a smirk, asked, "Vic didn't drink from this, did he?''

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2012 Newsday. All rights reserved.