“We’ve seen Eli (Manning) do that a lot of times this season and in other season,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. “We felt good. We had a timeout. We had a lot of time on the clock. We needed a field goal to win the game – and we felt that we were at least going to get a field goal – and he (Manning) put us in the end zone.”

Osi Umenyiora took it a step further: “I knew that we were going to win from the beginning – honestly,” the defensive end said. “There wasn’t any doubt in my mind.”

When your team has already run off five consecutive victories when one loss would have ended the season, then you can look at it two ways: the hot streak will continue or you are overdue for a bad game. The Giants actually made it look easy by continuing the former rather than starting a new streak with the latter.

Manning has made a habit of picking the Giants up off the mat and willing them to a win when it appeared that all was lost. This game was certainly no different – other than perhaps it seemed a foregone conclusion that somehow he would move his team down the field and get the job done again.

Confidence goes a long way. A lot longer than 88 yards.

To get the news to you instantaneously, our Twitter and Facebook pages will be abuzz. Check in all weekend long for photos and videos from the Media Center, Radio Row, Lucas Oil Stadium and …hopefully a party or two.

Tweets and posts will be flying across the board with all of this so stay on top of it all with us as it happens.

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Photo by William J. Hauser

The New York Giants and New England Patriots will face one another on Sunday, February 5 in Indianapolis.

Our NFL coverage continues the following week when Brad Smith, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, joins us.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 1:30 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived and available free on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes. Join us on the air by calling in at (347) 884-8157.

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Marshall Faulk, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.

Photos of Cutler from the Olympia clearly showed swelling and redness in the area and it was reportedly suffered during a photo shoot. The injury was still apparent a few weeks later at the inaugural Sheru Classic in India, at which Cutler again was the runner-up to Heath.

That was back in September. Cutler is scheduled to go under the knife in February and be back in the gym by the end of March. Considering that he has competed only once a year, that should be more than enough time for him to get ready for the 2012 O.

But with the torch already passed to Heath and Cutler being 39 by the time that show rolls around, it would have been a wiser decision to have the procedure done earlier. Muscle tears like this need to be surgically repaired and waiting is not going to change anything for the better.

If Cutler has any chance of regaining the title for the second time (he took it back from Dexter Jackson in 2009), then he is going to need as much time as possible to get there. Losing the last four months cannot be changed, so Cutler had better hope that his recovery goes well without any setbacks. He doesn’t have any wiggle room now and has to be on point at every stage of his preparation.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t play a little fantasy football, right? The recent backlash from an anonymous disgruntled Jets player criticizing quarterback Mark Sanchez and his work ethic may have been bad enough in a tabloid town such as New York, but the minute Santonio…I mean he mentioned Peyton Manning’s name as a possible replacement, the Big Apple team that missed the playoffs actually took center stage on the back page headlines for a day.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News spoke to the still-unnamed player who said, “We have to bring in another quarterback who will make him (Sanchez) work hard at practice. He’s lazy and content because he knows he’s not going to be benched.

“If you can get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning, then, hell yeah, I would trade Sanchez.” 

Sanchez may have taken a step back this year, as did the entire organization after two consecutive AFC Championship appearances, but their quarterback cannot be held totally responsible. He did pull a few games out in the fourth quarter and cannot be faulted for a shaky offensive line and inconsistent defense. But when you’re the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft and have the specter of Joe Namath always hovering over your shoulder, then you should expect some flak when things don’t go well. But not from one of your teammates.

Either way, a healthy Peyton Manning would be appealing to just about every team in the league besides a handful and that is attributed more to what the former NFL MVP can bring to the table rather than the inaccuracies of their current signal callers.

The 2-14 Indianapolis Colts earned the right to draft quarterback Andrew Luck first overall and will in all likelihood do just that. But there are no guarantees that Manning will be fully cleared to take snaps once training camp opens in the summer and if he is, then Luck can sit and watch from one of the best.

One hit can knock Manning out and it would behoove the Colts to have a back-up capable of coming in and, if not winning, give the fans something to cheer about. It obviously wasn’t the case with the likes of Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter behind center and even the ‘heroics’ of Dan Orlovsky late in the season will not transcend into 2012. And bringing in a young quarterback like Sanchez makes absolutely no sense for the Colts if they choose Luck. Sanchez is neither an experienced veteran or back-up.

So figure on Indy selecting Luck and keeping Manning around to eventually pass the baton, but just not right away.

In New York, former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano takes over for the much-maligned Brian Schottenheimer as offense coordinator. This move will buy Sanchez at least one more season before the boo birds really come down hard on him if his struggles continue. General manager Mike Tannenbaum is not going to give up on his prize pick from only three years ago.

Sure, it will be fun to throw potential moves like this around, but when it is all said and done, both quarterbacks will be back where they ended the season.

Photo by Bill Menzel

“I’m going home,” he tweeted on December 29. “Cosmetic surgery was a huge success. I’ll be back on stage in a couple of weeks.”

Coleman further tweeted that he had the operation to add more size to his already massive frame. “It never hurts to get bigger.”

The 5’11″, 330-pound former champion has not competed since placing fourth at the 2007 Olympia but has never officially announced his retirement and seems to enjoy frequent rumors of his impending return. Coleman has kept himself busy with guest posing appearances in the years following his record-tying Sandow run (1998 to 2005), as recent as December’s IFBB Pro  World Masters.

RON COLEMAN CONTEST HISTORY

• 1990 Mr. Texas (Heavyweight & Overall)
• 1991 World Amateur Championships (Heavyweight)
• 1995 Canada Pro Cup
• 1996 Canada Pro Cup
• 1997 Grand Prix Russia
• 1998 Night of Champions
• 1998 Toronto Pro Invitational
• 1998 Mr. Olympia
• 1998 Grand Prix Finland
• 1998 Grand Prix Germany
• 1999 Mr. Olympia
• 1999 World Pro Championships
• 1999 Grand Prix England
• 2000 Mr. Brody Langley
• 2000 Grand Prix England
• 2000 World Pro Championships
• 2000 Mr. Olympia
• 2001 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic
• 2001 Mr. Olympia
• 2001 New Zealand Grand Prix
• 2002 Mr. Olympia
• 2002 Grand Prix Holland
• 2003 Mr. Olympia
• 2003 Grand Prix Russia
• 2004 Mr. Olympia
• 2004 Grand Prix England
• 2004 Grand Prix Holland
• 2004 Grand Prix Russia
• 2005 Mr. Olympia
• 2006 Grand Prix Austria – IFBB, 2nd
• 2006 Grand Prix Holland – IFBB, 2nd
• 2006 Grand Prix Romania – IFBB, 2nd
• 2006 Olympia – IFBB, 2nd
• 2007 Olympia – IFBB, 4th

With no rust to shake off, the former Nugget has picked up right where he left off last season. After three games, Anthony is averaging 25.7 points per game. That is one tenth of a point more than his 2010-11 numbers. In his ninth NBA season, the Syracuse product has led his team to the playoffs each year and is also a three-time All-Star.

When then-general manager Donnie Walsh acquired Anthony, he joined Amar’e Stoudemire in the frontcourt and teamed with him to form a bona fide one-two punch. But in today’s NBA, it seems that three superstars are required to challenge for a championship.

Enter Tyson Chandler. The 7’1”, 225-pound center who came to the Knicks from Dallas in a trade after the lockout was lifted fills out the trifecta. Mike D’Antoni recognized that immediately when addressing the media at the press conference announcing the deal.

“Tyson will be the anchor to our defense,” the Knicks head coach said. “The trio of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson makes one of the most formidable frontlines in the entire league.”

With the Eastern Conference loaded with ‘Big Three’ teams in the aforementioned Celtics (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen) and the defending conference champion Miami Heat (Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh), the Knicks needed to add an impact player to the mix to put them in elite territory.

But even with Chandler on board, Anthony is the main focus on the hardwood for the Knicks. They will need him to be there every night, as Stoudemire has had injury problems throughout his entire career.

And it seems as if Anthony knew that while awaiting the start of the season.

Photo by Jim Leary

So when it came down to make the same decision this year, Greene didn’t have to give it too much of a thought judging by his – and his fellow competitor’s –  recent history. Both Phil Heath and Jay Cutler (the last two Mr. Olympia winners, respectively) prepared solely for the O and stayed away from competing until September.

Greene had a lot to prove in 2011 after a lackluster seventh place finish at his maiden Olympia voyage the previous year. He came back strong and dominated the big city stage at the New York Pro, which put him right back into the mix for a top three placing at the Olympia.

That is exactly what happened and Greene is once again in the conversation of dominating bodybuilders. He has already proven himself in Columbus on more than one occasion and he is more than ready to take it a step further.

KAI GREENE – CONTEST HISTORY

But they are this time around, and anything less shouldn’t be expected from The Governor!

All four champions from 2011 will return and defend their crowns, not the most usual circumstance when you factor in a number of reasons why this is a special occurrence, indeed. Many competitors skip the Arnold to concentrate on the Mr. Olympia or have no choice in the matter if they suffer an injury. Take Branch Warren, for instance. The Texas native not only won the title last March, but also the Most Muscular Award. Outside of the British Grand Prix a few weeks later (which he also won), Warren will have not had donned the posing trunks in nearly 12 months when he hits the stage at the Arnold. A freak accident caused him to become injured and have to bow out of the Mr. Olympia.

Warren will have his work cut out for him against a line-up that includes Dexter Jackson (a three-time Arnold champion), as well as Dennis Wolf and Evan Centopani, who both finished in the top six a year ago.

In female bodybuilding, it will be once again the great Iris Kyle looking to monopolize the Ms. International first place prize, something that she has been able to do on six prior occasions. “I just take one year at a time,” Kyle said. “I do my homework and try to come in with the package that (the judges) are looking for.”

Of course, Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia will have something to say about that, herself a four-time winner in Columbus and a frequent runner-up to Kyle here and at the Ms. Olympia.

Adele Garcia will look to add a fifth Ms. Fitness International trophy to her growing collection and will have to fend off the likes of Tanji Johnson and Camala Rodriguez.

In 2011, the inaugural Ms. Bikini International took place and Nicole Nagrani was named its first champion. “I feel amazing right now; I’m on top of the world,” Nagrani commented backstage following the win.

The 19-year-old again stood in the winner’s circle at the Olympia and will have to watch out for Sonia Gonzales (second) and Nathalia Melo (third), who were directly on her heels last March.

Perhaps the most interesting battle will take place in figure, where Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern have gone back and forth in Ohio and Las Vegas the last few years. Wilkins has tasted victory at the last two Ms. Figure International shows and will also have to keep her eyes on Ava Cowan and Cheryl Brown.

Keep in mind that these lists are just the people who have been invited to the 2012 Arnold Classic and there will be some who decline the invite for one reason or another. But competing here is an honor and most will in fact be up there on the stage at the War Memorial come March 2 and 3.

The official lists are as follows:

2012 Arnold Classic (14)
Fouad Abiad
Gustavo Badell
Lionel Beyeke
Matthias Botthof
Evan Centopani
Eduardo Correa
Brandon Curry
Dexter Jackson
Michael Kefalianos
Ben Pakulski
Shawn Rhoden
Branch Warren
Ben White
Dennis Wolf

2012 Ms. International (15)
Maria Rita Bello
Brigita Brezovac
Kim Buck
Tina Chandler
Alevtina Goroshinskaya
Monique Jones
Iris Kyle
Debi Laszewski
Cathy LeFrancois
Zoa Lindsey
Geraldine Morgan
Yaxeni Oriquen
Kim Perez
Alina Popa
Maria Segura

2012 Fitness International (17)
Michelle Blank
Jodi Boam
Myriam Capes
Regiane Da Silva
Tina Durkin
Allison Ethier
Adela Garcia
Oksana Grishina
Tanji Johnson
Diana Monteiro
Julie Palmer
Kayde Puckett
Camala Rodriguez
Daniella Ruban
Kizzy Vaines
Sheri Vucick
Bethany Wagner

2012 Figure International (16)
Jelena Abbou
Teresa Anthony
Cheryl Brown
Krissy Chin
Ava Cowan
Heather Dees
Alicia Harris
Raquel Hernandez
Candice Keene
Gloria Keplinger Tarpley
Sue Knott
Larissa Reis
Erin Stern
Gennifer Strobo
Latisha Wilder
Nicole Wilkins

2012 Bikini International (18)
Jennifer Andrews
Jaime Baird
Abbie Burrows
Juliana Daniell
Sonia Gonzales
Candyce Graham
Diana Graham
Jessica Jessie
Lexi Kaufman
Nathalia Melo
Justine Munro
Nicole Nagrani
India Paulino
Jessica Paxson
Natalie Pennington
Monique Ricardo
Tianna Ta
Christine Vargas

For more information, be sure to visit the official contest website, www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.

Being held since November 7 on immigration issues, Martinez had little choice but to step aside at this time. In fact, he may find himself actually deported back to his home country of the Dominican Republic if a federal judge makes that decision on January 6. The government has to either release him, deport him or charge him with a crime within 90 days of being detained.

The trouble began for Martinez, 38, when he returned from the IFBB Arnold Europe on October 11. He actually won the show and has seen his career on a huge upswing after a brief lull. His green card had apparently expired and Martinez failed to apply for a new one. Coupled with the fact that he has been convicted of a felony in the past, this spelled disastrous as Martinez found himself in front of a United States Customs agent at the airport.

At an earlier hearing, the judge denied Martinez bail and ordered him back to his 6 X 8 cell in New York.

The 2007 Arnold Classic champion will have to straighten out his immigration status and hopefully will have that opportunity while living in the US. With the start of the IFBB contest season nearly upon us, Martinez will need extra time to get back into shape with this unexpected span of inactivity and no choice of what his diet consists of. The best case scenario is that he misses three months, and even that is a long stretch for a professional bodybuilder to have no control over his daily life.

The entire sport of bodybuilding awaits the announcement of Martinez’s fate next month. If deportation occurs, he would still be able to compete at overseas shows, but the ‘Big Two’ of the Arnold and Olympia will have to wait until Martinez either applies for another green card or citizenship.

VICTOR MARTINEZ – CONTEST HISTORY