Monday, January 21, 2008
About That Super Bowl…
Firstly, let me say that it seems so right that San Diego would lose again (sorry, Don). They had a better season than I expected, but their record wasn’t as strong and their ending was, essentially the same as last year’s exit. It just took a little longer to get there. But it was tough cheering for the Patriots.
The Pats deserve this, though. I never, ever thought I would see the perfect season--and I think I gave Miami a better shot at losing all their games this season than I gave New England for finding a way to win it all the way through. While Coach Belichick remains an irritating figure in the game, there is no denying that he has put together one of the most dominant teams of all time--not just this year, but over the last seven years. The Patriots earned this trip in a way that, quite literally, no other team ever has.
It was a little tough for me to watch the Packers lose, though.
I was one of those people who was saying that Favre needed to retire last year. I said that he had lost some of his talent and that there was no way that they could build a team quickly enough to be a playoff contender with him as quarterback. Boy, was I wrong. Not only did he have the talent, but so did the team. Yesterday’s game wasn’t the prettiest, but it does little to take away from his great season. I hope he comes back for at least one more round.
Speaking of that, I hope Tony Dungy comes back, too. Not only has he been a great coach, but he’s been an upstanding figure in the NFL. With none of Belichick’s antics, Dungy put together a team that has played at the top level for years. It would be sad to see him go and hard as hell to replace. There will be mourning in Indianapolis if he decides to retire.
Now, at last and improbably, we have a Brady-Manning Super Bowl. It’s just the wrong Manning. Congratulations to Eli for playing so well in the playoffs and proving that Archie and Peyton aren’t the only Mannings to make their ways to the big game. The Giants had a season the few expected and deserve some congratulations, too.
Still, in my head, Eli and the Giants don’t match up particularly well with the Patriots. While I wouldn’t mind being wrong, I don’t see this one being an exciting game and I imagine that most people watching will be more interested in seeing how the Patriots close out their season than there are those who believe the Giants have a shot.
Comments & Trackbacks
In that final game of the regular season, the Giants made a run at the Patriots.
Hopefully, they can do it again.
I’m not so much pro-Giants as I am anti-Patriots. If it were ‘Da Bears? Sure. The Pack? You bet. The Stillers? Of course.
They did, but I didn’t see that as being a representative game. Maybe I’m wrong, though.
The anti-Patriots feeling runs through me, too. I was really hoping to see the Packers go--a Brady-Favre match-up would have been fun to watch.
"The Pats deserve this, though.”
True enough in the sense that they won all their games and were probably the best team in the league for much of the season. When you consider that they are cheating scum, though, maybe not so much.
In the NFL, if you are caught betting on a game, you get a suspension. If you are caught having smoked weed twice, you get a suspension. If you say unkind things to a referee, you get an onfield penalty or get ejected from a game or both.
If you actually cheat in an actual game, you get a fine.
So, the cheaters from New England play the whiners from New York and I get a Sunday in February free.
A few thoughts:
San Diego did a great job. I’m not sure whether to say San Diego’s offense beat New England’s offense, or SD’s defense beat NE’s offense, but SD had 4 scores, NE just 3. Despite Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the Best WR Corps Money Can Buy, it was NE’s defense that won the game for the Pats. Brady looked human under SD’s pass rush, and the Giants have an even better DL. The Pats will probably win, but I no longer feel like it is a lock.
Since I’ll be watching, too, I do hope that you’re right.
I admit I have mixed feelings about the Chargers loss in Foxboro. While I would have loved to see the Bolts have another shot at hoisting Lombardi’s Legacy, I’m also glad that two members from the failed ‘94 bid have their shot. Junior Seau is still one of the best MLB in the game, and Rodney Harrison is even more of a danger to an opposing quarterback’s rating than he was when he wore the blue and gold. They both deserve their shot at the ring, and they have a very damn good one in 12 days.
But this one won’t be won on the backs of the Patriots defense. It will be won or lost on the backs of the Giants defense and how well they can disrupt the Pats offensive machine. Nathan is right when he says that the Giants’ DL is excellent. One thing I took away from Sunday’s game is that the Chargers fairly well plagiarized the Giants defensive playbook, and then added a few of their own unique elements to make it more effective than the Week 17 game. I will look for the Giants to return the favor as Brady was hurried and harassed all afternoon long in the AFC Title match.
Personally, I’ll be putting a few bucks on the Giants to cover the ridiculous 12-point spread. An outright win? That’s asking a little much, even for someone who would love to see the Path To Perfection receive a massive roadblock. (God, how I hate those ESPN News ticker elements with Path To Perfection featured every 3 freakin’ minutes. It’d be worth it just to have their marketing department sit with egg on their faces!)
Oh, and I’ll be on the phone with my bookie to toss some cash on the under as well. This will be a defense-dominated game, and a 54-point total is a lot high for my tastes.
Man it was such a crazy game..that catch by Tyree was ignorant; I think that’s why SuperBowls are a toss up because teams play too conservative.