Ellington

Now that the holidays are over, I figured I would take some time to deliver my scattered thoughts on sports-world developments over the last few weeks.

Joining eggnog, pumpkin spice and the Dallas Cowboys blowing a playoff berth in the final regular season game, I'm calling it a new holiday tradition: the Big Ten crapping its pants in bowl games. The conference went 2-5 this season.

I never thought I would see MACtion turned into LACKtion, but that is the case. The MAC went 0-5 in bowl games, and most of them weren't even close. Kudos to the Sun Belt for going 2-0 in bowls.

The best team in America didn't even get to play for the national title. While the rest of the Big Ten did its normal bowl act, Michigan State beat up on a very good Stanford team to win the Rose Bowl.

Florida State salvaged the ACC bowl record and ended the SEC's title streak, but I don't think the Seminoles would want anything to do with the Spartans. Michigan State's defense was better than the Auburn defense on multiple levels in the BCS Championship game.

Thank you Johnny Manziel for your on-the-field football ability. College football will not be the same without you.

For better or worse, with the new playoff system starting next year, we say goodbye to the BCS. Now let us turn our attention to complaining about the fifth best team being left out of the playoffs.

Overall, the NFL playoffs have been good, but not great, heading into the championship games.

New Orleans won a road playoff game but decided to show up late to Seattle. If the Saints offense had shown up before the fourth quarter, it would be the sixth-seeded New Orleans playing in San Francisco for the NFC Championship. In my mind, this proves that the Saints can win away games in the playoffs.

Take Peyton Manning all you want but, in my opinion, Tom Brady is the best quarterback of this generation. Manning is a great quarterback, but he can't claim the playoff-level wins Brady can.

Hall of Fame careers are made in the regular season, but legends are made in the playoffs.

Brady is playing in his eighth AFC Championship Game in 13 seasons (12 if you don't count when he blew his knee out in the first game of the 2008 season).

A win over the Broncos will also give Brady six Super Bowl appearances. Brady already holds the record for most playoff victories: 18. Manning, on the other hand, is just 10-11 after beating San Diego Sunday.

What's more, Brady has done all of this with lower-quality receivers than Manning. Manning had Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Enjoy Brady while we have him, folks.