Michael Vick is overrated. Yes, the title says it all. He does have a great game now and again, but he’s far from one of the best QB’s in the game. He was on Inside The NFL on HBO this season crying about how he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He also said that he was just as good as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and deserved to be in that group. I don’t think so.

What’s he done? He’s been in the league for 6 years and has never helped his team get to at least the NFC Championship. But, forget about that, because neither has Manning. However, what Manningand Bradyhave done is constantly have good game after good game while helping their teams win and reach the playoffs consistently.

Michael Vick has played in 9 games in 2006 as of this writing. He has thrown 12 TDs, but 9 interceptions. When it comes to QBs, that’s one stat I pay close attention to. Yards passing mean absolutely nothing as far as ability goes. Now, I don’t want to be accused of picking on him for just this year, so let’s take a peek at past years.

In 2005, Vick threw 15 TDs and 13 interceptions. In 2004, he threw 14 TDs and 12 interceptions. Seeing a theme here? His passer rating year after year is always in the 70susually low 70s. His passer rating is 73.2 so far in 2006. Last season he finished with a passer rating of 73.1.

Sorry, but that is Manning or Brady-type numbers. While Vick might be fun to watch at times and while he is a decent NFL QB, he’s not in the upper echelon as people tout him and that’s why he’s overrated.

What’s missing from Las Vegas newspapers, TV and radio this week?

The answer is easy for Sin City denizens: casino Super Bowl party ads.

That’s because there aren’t any big bashes planned, at least the kind where you pay a C-note, watch the game on widescreens, stuff yourself with all-you-can-eat “stadium fare” and get intoxicated with friends at open bars … a big part of the Vegas mystique.

The Goliath NFL wiped them out last year, holding potential lawsuits over resorts that didn’t kowtow to demands they cease and desist from airing the game at events people pay to get in.

The league cited broadcasting rights.

Oh, the gleaming alabaster palaces still will roll out red carpets for the rich, famous and media types, cook up fancy food (medallions of veal anyone?) and throw open the liquor cabinet, top shelf and all, but casinos don’t like to discuss these “private” affairs.

Someone might be left out, inadvertently or otherwise.

Besides, letting the public know how the other half lives isn’t real Strip smart.

Many resorts will show the big Pittsburgh-Seattle game throughout their casinos, offering food and drink specials.

Vegans and tourists also have the option of watching Super Bowl XL in sports books throughout Nevada; just come early, stake your claim (some bet shops feature more comfortable chairs than others), make your wagers and start searching for those specials.

Harrah’s will give patrons Super Bowl t-shirts with $50 parlay wagers and showing the game at its Piano, Carnaval, Winning Streaks and other bars, while Fiesta Rancho will give away a 2006 Dodge Ram during festivities.

Many former NFL stars will spend Super Bowl weekend in Sin City, but most will maintain low profiles to escape media glare.

They’ll limit public appearances to things like “tributes” and charity auctions, then mix and mingle “privately.”

John Elway, for one, should thank the Steelers for creaming Denver in the AFC title game, as he already was committed here. So’s Dan Marino, who never really had a reason to believe he’d be anywhere else on Super Bowl Sunday.

Philadelphia bad boy Terrell Owens will paint the town red, starting at 10 p.m. Friday at Caesars Palace’s upscale PURE Nightclub; a deejay will focus on rock and rap music.

Like all free Americans, Vegans also can watch Matt Hasselback and Ben Roethlesberger duel in the friendly confines of their favorite pub, or tavern; they’re on many neighborhood corners, like anywhere else.

The Steelers have several fan bars in Vegas while the Seahawks have one.

Bob Taylor’s Ranch House and Supper Club in the far northwest valley has catered to Las Vegans since 1955.

The current owner hails from Pittsburgh and has turned the classy steak house saloon into a Steelers bastion.

“We’ll have food specials, beer specials, shots and everyone will be dressed in yellow and black,” a restaurant spokeswoman said.

“Everything we cook is mesquite grilled, you know.

“We’re having a big Super Bowl party.”

So is Rascals, another Steelers stronghold on Vegas’ East Side.

“We have a free Super Bowl buffet — actually, it’s pretty nice and I’d be here myself (even) if I didn’t have to work — for anyone who buys a $25 square on our board,” said a lady who answered the phone.

“But we only have two squares left, so we’ll think up another gimmick by Friday so those who didn’t get down on this one get another chance for free buffets.

“We’ll have free well drinks too and 50-cent drink tickets that let you uprade on brands.

“And there’s no cover charge.”

Seahawks fans also have a haven, at Smoke Ranch Junction on the city’s West Side.

“Sure, we’re having a big Super Bowl party,” said a voice at the other end.

“We’ll have a free buffet and drink specials.”

Bars rely on regulars for most Super Sunday business, but emphasize their shindigs are open to the public, which, in fact, they ardently pursue.

Those seeking something truly spectacular might give the Red Rooster a whirl; it’s a swinging joint.

The Seattle-Pittsburgh match-up will be shown on big-screen TVs and a buffet will be served.

BYOB.

Cost is $40 for couples and single men; single women are free. No tickets will be sold in advance.

A dress code will be in effect: Men, boxers only; women, just panties.

Lynda Collins is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of her articles at http://www.procappers.com/Lynda_Collins.htm.

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy have come a long way from the primitive notions of it being related to mumbo-jumbo and sinister magicians. Today, the world is recognizing hypnotherapy for what it really is – a life changing force which allows you to conquer your mind. And we would all agree that our mind is indeed the greatest instrument we have to alter our life and to change its course towards success. In the recent years there has been a lot of speculation over hypnotherapy, and it has been found that one of the areas where it can really work for you is to improve your sports performance. If you are an athlete, or aspire to be a sport star; it would be an entirely wise decision to consider hypnotherapy for further honing your skills, and come up with one winning performance after the other. What’s more hypnotherapy in High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire is now available at Terry Doherty’s clinic. A lot of athletes in the past and in the present swear by what hypnosis has done to their sporting performance, and how they have produced master strokes in every game they have played since they started practicing it. And no other sports person displays the brilliance of Hypnotherapy, than the Golf Maestro, Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods has acknowledged the fact that he turns to hypnotherapy to calm his mind and improve his focus before every game he plays. In fact he is said to have been practicing it ever since he was 13. Golf is a mind game, where each golfer has to think well in advance what shots he/she is going to play. Visualization techniques in hypnotherapy help a golfer do just that. It helps a player to go over the winning strokes in his mind over and over again, till the stroke – every muscle moved to create it, every angle in the body needed to achieve it, is instilled in the player’s mind. Hypnotherapy also helps in calming down the anxiety and nervousness that a player faces before any big game. The soothing effect and the calming quality of hypnotherapy go a long way in instilling a feeling of peace in the player’s psyche. And when a player is peaceful, his mind is uncluttered – that way he can give in his 100% to a shot. He can overlook all distractions, as his mind is completely focused on the perfect stroke. In his mind, he can visualize the next stroke and play it near precision – the results speak for themselves.

Tiger Woods has been quoted in the August 2001 issue of Golf Magazine saying, “I always have an inner peace on the golf course. I’ve learned to trust the subconscious, and my instincts have never lied to me.” Much of the credit for this inner peace and calm goes to the fact that he practices hypnosis at least once a week. Jay Brunza, is the clinical psychologist who has been working with Tiger Woods for a long time; it is he who introduced Woods to the tools of hypnotherapy, the ways to conquer one’s mind, and the methods for self-hypnosis. Jay Brunza taught Woods how to get himself into “the zone” at will. The zone which we are talking about here is a state of complete calm and focus, when a player can bring on his peak performance at will.

A player’s state of mind is a major player in the kind of game he/she has. If one is calm, relaxed and focused, the performance too will reflect the same mastery. In fact, the next time you watch Tiger Woods play, pay close attention to his face before he tees off. You will notice that his eyes open wide, and he blink twice. Its not that he can’t see clearly, it’s just a nugget of hypnotherapy he is using to ‘get into the zone’. It’s done on purpose, and his victories go a long way in telling us that this post-hypnotic trigger has affected his game more than we give it credit for. If you want to avail of hypnotherapy sessions for sports performance in High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire, get in touch with Terry Doherty on terry@mind-works.co.uk