As originally forecasted, Weather 2020 expects warmer air to be drawn into the areas of New York City and New Jersey on Saturday, Feb. 1, causing temperatures to surge into the 40’s through the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. A cool down is expected before kickoff but chances for snow remain at zero percent.

“Our forecast comes in sharp contrast from other weather predictors that have been warning of snow in East Rutherford for the big game,” said Lezak, Weather 2020 founder.  “We are very confident that the forecast we issued in early January will be accurate,”

The LRC based weather forecasts are available to consumers by downloading the Weather 2020 app. Available on iOS 7-enabled devices, the app provides users with weather forecasts 77 days beyond the current seven-day standard. Weather 2020 is free to download through Apple’s App Store. The free download includes Weather 2020’s short-range (seven-day) and long-range (12-week) forecasts for unlimited locations.

Personal weather balloons can customize and track events up to 12-weeks in advance with alerts of any changing conditions for designated dates. A weather balloon launch will provide app users with real-time email and ping alerts when the forecast for their tracked date is updated, a valuable feature as weather is a decisive factor when planning events and vacations. Unlimited weather balloons can be launched for one month, three months and one year for 99 cents, $2.99 and $8.99, respectively. The app includes weather forecasts for the continental U.S. and Hawaii.

About Weather 2020 (Weather2020.com)

Weather 2020 is the first and only mobile app that provides users weather projections beyond the typical seven-day forecast, allowing for weather tracking up to 12 weeks in advance across the U.S.  Weather 2020 is the creation of Gary Lezak, a seasoned meteorologist and creator of Lezak’s Recurring Cycle (LRC), a scientific method of forecasting weather and the basis of Weather 2020. Using the LRC, Lezak and his team are able to prepare weather forecasts with an 84-day lead time. Weather 2020 is available for free in the Apple Store and is compatible with both iPhone and iPad. Weather 2020 users can also launch custom weather balloons to track weather for designated dates and be notified in real-time when the weather changes for the tracked dates. Unlimited weather balloons can be launched for a small fee.

To learn more about Weather 2020 visit www.weather2020.com, “like” it on Facebook at facebook.com/weather2020 and follow on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest at @Weather2020

Now I love the Denver Broncos, and I don’t make that a secret. There is a reason blue and orange are the colors of the site. But the thing I love more than the Broncos is making money.

Now I am not advocating that you put your hard earned bread up on the game, but for entertainment purposes only I will tell you some things you might want to look at putting your chicken at.

1. Montee Ball to Score a TD
The Broncos run the ball when they are inside the five yard line. Usually this would be a chance for Knowshon to get some touches, but he’s been really banged up lately and Montee Ball has been getting an increased amount of carries. If Denver gets down inside the five, look for Ball.

2. Peyton Manning under 290 Yards Passing
Being that the Seahawks play a lot of man defense expect the Broncos to move the ball primarily though screens and underneath passes. I fully expect Manning to dink and dunk his way to scores instead of going deep.

3. Marshawn Lynch under 100 Yards Rushing and Receiving
The Seahawks are going to run the ball, but the strength of the Broncos defense is the middle. Terrence Knighton aka Pot Roast will slow up Beastmode just enough to keep him under 100. Expect Seattle to run a lot of screens and runs to the hash marks.

4. Marshawn Lynch to Score a TD
I’m not super confident in this, but if any Seahawk is bound to score a touchdown it’s Lynch.

5. Doug Baldwin to Score a TD
The Broncos are missing their best cover corner Chris Harris Jr., and Tony Carter is susceptible to giving up big plays. There isn’t any way the Broncos will keep Baldwin from getting downfield, there’s no corner on this team outside DRC that can run with him.

Let’s say for instance it snows for the Superbowl the way that it did in the Eagles Lions game early in December, when its all said and down 8-10 inches of snow on the ground and during the game reliable visibility is reduced to 15 yards in any direction; would this make for a good Superbowl?

This is clearly an opinionated question that relies on the individual presenting there case.  However as the historic day draws closer we see that the odds of having the single most watched sporting event in America being played in a blizzard dissipating.

 “ Indeed, the current extended forecast calls for a high of just 32-degrees and a low of 24. Kickoff is scheduled for roughly 6:30 p.m. ET, and while skies are projected to be clear by then, there is a slight chance for snow during the day (AccuWeather).”

Honestly, compared to many of the games we have witnessed this season even in the playoffs (-15 in Green Bay) this hardly even categorizes as a cold weather game.  Obviously the forecast will change and perhaps the football gods will decide they want to see Mr. Goodell and the NFL owners squirm and dump severalteen feet of snow on the field during the game; however the odds seem to be playing against that taking place.

But what if it did, many professional sports commentators who have been covering the game for longer than I have been alive seem upset about even the possibility of the weather having an effect on the game.  “Its okay so long as its not sleeting, snowing, or the wind is to strong”; the general consensus seems to be that “we don’t want a poor footing, a wet ball, or a hard wind to influence the outcome of the game possibly causing the more talented and therefore deemed better team to fall short of the ultimate prize.  I can sympathize with this position, I even stood on that side of the argument for the majority of the season, this being said as the last November and December games progressed my stance changed.

If you are not a fan particular team in the superbowl, and I don’t mean a band wagon fan or, I like this player so I’ll root for their team fan. I mean if neither of these teams are ones that cause grey hairs to sprout or at least loss of sleep on a Sunday after a losing, or cause you to do fall to your knees and shout out cries of joy (that may include rants similar to Richard Sherman’s) after beating a divisional opponent.  If you are not a true fan of either team than if you are watching this game as a casual fan odds are you are hoping the commercials are hysterical.  Even so if you have made it this far into the article you probably not a casual fan, more than likely you love the sport and just want to see a good, competitive, memorable game; and what would be more memorable than snow for the first time at the superbowl.

Think back on some of the most memorable games in NFL history, the Fog Bowl between the Eagles and Bears, the Raiders and Patriots AFC championship game in ’01 when Brady caused the tuck rule to be brought into existence there was so much snow watching from the home the game was barely visible on the screen.  Or arguably the great game of all time the Ice Bowl when the Lombardi lead Packers faced the Landry led Cowboys in an epic showdown.  The point that I am trying to make is yes inclimate weather may bridge the perceived gap in talent between the two teams but this may lead to a more entertaining and memorable night.  People disrespect New Jersey on a daily basis where I’m from (center city philly) saying: “it’s the armpit of America” or “nothing good comes out of Jersey”.  But in this case I find myself is disagreement, two amazingly talented teams will go head to head in the first ever cold weather Superbowl, the will with a little luck be among the most memorable ever.

Anyways, what did we learn in context of the NFL going forward? I believe a few things.

1. You Need an Elite Quarterback to Win In This League. Period.

None of this spread QB, running QB garbage. You need an ELITE passing quarterback to win. Period. Why? Every clutch play made of this entire postseason was made by a quarterback PASSING the ball. The 38 yard throw from Eli to Mario Manningham was something of beauty, and only a handful of QBs in this league could have completed it.

Look at who’s passing the Lombardi around- Roethlisberger, Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Manning… do you see a pattern yet?

2. You Don’t Need a Running Game. You Just Need to Run When It Counts.

The Packers of last year and the Giants of this year were both dead last in the NFL in rushing yards per game. And guess what? They both found a decent enough rushing game in December to get it done. So don’t fall in love with teams with 1500 yard runners… its totally a moot point if you don’t have a QB to make that clutch 20+ yard throw.

3. Pressure!

You’ve got to get defensive pressure, and do it consistently. The Giants have one of the best defensive ends in the game in Jason Pierre-Paul along with Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka on that defensive line. The ability to make an elite QB a second or two off a timed throw can make all the difference in a big game. And it did.

4. Coaching.

Finally, look at the decision for the Giants to keep Tom Coughlin. He was supposed to get fired early in the 2008 season if the media had their way and all he’s done since is win TWO Super Bowls. Between Belichick, Omar Epps… my bad Mike Tomlin, and Coughlin himself none of these revolving door coaches are consistently winning chips. It’s the coaches that stay with an organization for many years and build on a winning culture year after year.

So why am I putting my very imaginary money down on the NY Giants? There are 5 reasons. Check them out:

1. Every Super Hero Must Have An Arch Nemesis and Vice Versa

The universe has this way of balancing the Yin and the Yang of all things. No one person can have it all. And because of that, I am predicting that Eli Manning officially cements himself as the Lex Luthor to Tom Brady’s Superman. It will go down in the history books that no matter how great Tom Brady was, he just couldn’t beat Eli Manning in the big game. It all started with the David Tyree pass. Eli took New England’s soul like Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat.

2. Eli Manning is the Best Big Game QB in the League

I cannot believe I just typed that. Even after ALMOST declaring Eli a bust a few years ago, I too have had to eat my words. Eli Manning simply wins in the playoffs. There are some guys (Elway, Young, Roethlisberger, etc.) that turn it up another level when the stakes are the highest. Eli is in that group. As of today his playoff record is a sickening 6-4 in playoff games with 1 Super Bowl ring.

3. SALSA!

Who is going to guard Victor Cruz? Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

If you answered “Devin McCourty” congratulations you have the incorrect answer. Let’s keep it honest, the Patriots should not even be in this game. If it wasn’t for a 3rd string CB making a play on NFL vet Lee Evans the Ravens are representing the AFC.

4. NASCAR

What does NASCAR have to do with this? That is the name of the package the Giants run with 4 defensive ends on the field. Between Osi, Jason Pierre-Paul, Kiwanuka, and the rest of the Giants defensive line you know they are going to get some pressure on Tom Brady. And don’t forget that Brady was in a mini slump against Baltimore.

5. GRONK HURT

The thing that people will be keeping an eye on is the health of Rob Gronkowski’s ankle. The Patriots tight end was seen limping about media day as if to say “Im going to play!” and I would not expect anything less. The thing is… if Gronk is anything less than 100% the Patriots lose their best down field target. Welker and Branch aren’t the deep field threat on this year’s team- its Gronk. So if Gronk is hurt and his speed is effected in any way it could cause New England to see a lot more safety play in the box than they would otherwise.

All in all I think it will be a great game. A LOT of history is at stake. Coaching legacy’s, quarterbacking legacy’s, young players looking to arrive on the big stage. It is going to be a fun one but at the end of the day, I think we will all be doing the SALSA.

Here are five things to help everyone look like a football expert during this year’s game from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Football author Mike Beacom:

1. Where is David Tyree?
The Giants and Patriots met in Super Bowl XLII, played in February 2008. The Patriots were 18-0 heading into that game and were heavily favored. The Giants pulled off one of the great upsets in football history, thanks in part to a catch wide receiver David Tyree made in the fourth quarter. That catch extended the Giants drive and led to the go-ahead touchdown. Someone in your party will recall the catch and Tyree, but no one will know what Tyree is doing today (he retired from football in summer 2010). Tell them that, among other things, he is a born again Christian and speaks out against same-sex marriages.

2. Tom Brady’s shot at history
New England’s quarterback Tom Brady is making his fifth Super Bowl start – only Denver’s John Elway has started as many Super Bowls. If the Patriots win, Brady will join Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only NFL quarterbacks to guide their teams to four titles in the Super Bowl era.

3. What’s in the name?
Few know that the term “Super Bowl” came from the late Lamar Hunt, who owned the Kansas City Chiefs. His team played in the first Super Bowl as the American Football League (AFL) representative. The NFL and AFL merged in 1970 and today the league has two conferences, NFC and AFC. At first it was known as the AFL-NFL Championship Game, but like many Hunt believed the game needed a name. According to legend, Hunt overheard his kids talking about their Super Ball and pitched calling the game the Super Bowl.

4. Correct your friends about Bill Belichick
Friends will point out that this is the Patriots coach’s fifth Super Bowl. That is true of Bill Belichick – as a head coach. He was an assistant coach for three other Super Bowl teams – the Giants in Super Bowls XXI and XXV, and the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Tell them that, technically, Belichick has coached in eight title games, not five. Another fact to know about Belichick – if New England wins, he will join former Steelers coach Chuck Noll as the only coaches with four Super Bowl titles.

5. Not just Peyton’s little brother
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has often been overshadowed by his more recognizable older brother, Peyton, who ranks among the best ever to play the game. But in terms of postseason success, Eli has the edge over his big bro. He has a 7-3 record in 10 postseason starts (Peyton’s record is 9-10). And if the Giants win, Eli will own more rings than his brother.

Wait. A player getting hype from an Urban Meyer offense, on a undefeated team, and is “hardest working QB in the draft?” This is beginning to remind me of someone….

That is another post for another day. I’ll table that discussion until the time comes.

Anyways, when draft day came, Smith went #1 overall, and Aaron Rodgers was left in the green room for the next 20 selections as 18 other teams passed on him (the Vikings selected Troy Williamson and Erasmus James before him, OUCH!) 

I remember it like it was yesterday.  Chris Berman shouted “pick him!” as if he ran an NFL team and he was going to pay Aaron with magic monopoly money.  Nevertheless the Packers decided to select Aaron Rodgers and the controversy began.  Would Brett Favre retire? When would Rodgers get his chance to play?

Smith went on to become a “bust” in most people’s eyes, playing for a different offensive coordinator every year while Rodgers got to sit and watch one of the best to ever do it.  When Rodgers finally got to play he started off rough, as Skip Bayless won’t let anyone forget, going 6-10 after being in the NFC Championship under Favre the previous year.

I even posted that season during the 2008 preseason:

Regardless of the fact that Aaron has started exactly (1) Preseason game for his whole career, I can confidently say that he is leagues better than Smith. I knew that in the draft, Rodgers’ height would work against him and Smith’s inflated numbers from the spread offense would get him picked earlier.

Well Aaron Rodgers has proved all the doubters wrong and beat Alex Smith to his first Championship ring.  There is no doubt that Rodgers is a fantastic player, a top 10 QB no matter how you order them.  But is Smith a bust? I’m not so sure.  There is no way we can go back and redraft Smith to the Packers and Rodgers to the 49ers but it is beyond clear that the different paths these players careers have had a huge impact on the type of players they have become so far.

Boy was I wrong.

After 511 votes, Aaron Rodgers is the clear favorite at a 3-1 ratio, winning over 75% of the votes (390 in total to Ben’s 121).

I have some theories as to why this may be.  First of all, Rodgers is the new hot name in the NFL, just as Drew Brees was last year.  Your casual fan is just now getting a chance to watch Rodgers play multiple times and he is playing pretty well so far in the playoffs.  Your casual fan also hates that Brett Favre was the reason why this “new” Rodgers guy didn’t get to show his skills for a while.  Also your casual fan dislikes what Ben Roethlisberger allegedly didn’t get away with last summer.

But everyone who reads this blog is not a casual fan so why did the knowledgeable fans go with Aaron over Big Ben and his TWO rings?  I have a theory on this as well.  Ben Roethlisberger is pretty much the ugliest winning Quarterback in the league right now in terms of style of play.  Ben throws a lot of “dead ducks”, extends plays to the point he’s no longer running what was called in the huddle, and he will rumble and stumble through a defense for an ugly first down on foot.

Rodgers is almost the complete opposite.  He has  the picture perfect timing on his throws, is very fast for a QB, and can throw a spiral with the best of them.  But one thing he doesn’t have is a championship.  The knowledgeable fan knows that Rodgers has all the qualities of a franchise player and is that rare blend of natural and athletic talent needed to excel at the position, where as Ben is more of a natural who on first look doesn’t look like a multiple Super Bowl winner.

I personally voted for Ben because I respect the rings. I have to admit it, I really don’t even like Ben Roethlisberger or the Steelers but I respect winners.  I respect the way they came back from 7-21 in the second half and closed the door on Baltimore.  I respect the way Ben marched the Steelers down the field against the Cardinals to come from behind and and win a championship.  He may not be the prototypical QB, but he is a winner (on the NFL level, Tebow nation) and I have nothing but respect for that.

So If I had the #1 pick and knowing what I know now, I take Ben Roethlisberger.  I know I am not going to always like how he gets it done, but I know he will find a way.  Rodgers has much left to be seen, but right now I’m going with Ben and his unorthodox style of winning.

Click here to see the full poll results!