Super Sunday, starting in The Barn

But, as you know, I could be wrong.

A Series of Random Thoughts on Super Sunday:

-I like the Packers tonight. I think Aaron Rodgers will be the Super Bowl MVP, and will take advantage of the Packers' receiving depth to exploit (a word we think of as a good thing only in football) the Steelers' secondary. I see Jordy Nelson making a big play tonight.

-I'm covering the Gophers-Ohio State game right now, and Ohio State is off to a 9-4 start. Blake Hoffarber is trying to run the point, and William Buford is all over him, and Austin Hollins is showing some early nerves. And, as usual, every Gopher fan in the Barn is asking for the refs to call traveling on every possession. Because that's what we all pay to see - traveling calls.

-Had Wild GM Chuck Fletcher on the highly-rated Sunday Sports Talk on 1500espn, and I asked him about something that's always bugged me: Why do we always attributed NHL wins and losses to effort, instead of skill?

But Fletcher disagreed with me. He said that the talent of most teams, especially in the middle of the pack in the West, is so close that goaltending and effort are the X factors. So I was wrong. Dang.

-Jon Deibler looks like one of the Beatles. Of course, so does Hoffarber.

After talking with people in and around the organization, I don't see any reason for owner Glen Taylor to keep GM David Kahn or coach Kurt Rambis around. That entire organization is a dumpster fire. Blow it up, again, and start over, and this time hire good people.

-Congratulations to the Gopher hockey team for holding Mike Connolly to five goals on Saturday.

-One important difference between the Packers team that is in the Super Bowl this year and the Vikings team that almost went to the Super Bowl last year: The Packers have zero players acquired by trade, and have demonstrated a great depth of home-grown talent this season.

The Vikings are a patchwork of free-agents, trade products and draft choices, and lack the Packers' great young depth. Leslie Frazier is a sharp guy, but he has a lot of work to do to rebuild this roster.

-Upcoming: I'll be on 1500espn at 2:40 every day this week, and will run my final Sunday Sports Talk with Brad Lane on Sunday. Tom Pelissero will replace Brad as my co-host two weeks from now (when we'll both be in Fort Myers covering the Twins), and Brad will concentrate on his new job at the station - program director.

Tom will bring a reporter's knowledge and a columnist's edge to the show. Other stations will not be able to stop us; they can only hope to contain us.