Super Bowl XVII

February 3, 2008 

Last night, everyone in the nation saw an amazing show of heart and athleticism in that stunning upset of “Football’s Greatest Team,” but there was so much more to be seen if you were really watching the game…

Bill Belichick. Ah, but was it that surprising that he just walked off the field with a second to go? He’s been skirting every question, passing up every opportunity to explain his actions, his short answers, his silence on issues that should have some sort of explaination…apparently, after a bit of humility he still thinks he’s above the Little People. Leaving the game early was just another classless act from a talented-but-classless coach. In this link, it’s worth noting the user comments after the article (the article is worth reading, too). See a trend? Ah, Karma, you fickle little monster!

The Catch II. Strahan said it best when he said that play took off a few years of his life. Fans on both side felt the same way. We’re talking about Eli‘s jersey grabbed by two Patriot defenders, a loss of balance, he scrambles forward, to his left, back around the mass of linemen, he’s free, rolling out of the pocket he takes a quick glance downfield and tosses up a mini-Hail Mary, Rodney Harrison gets to David Tyree, both at their peak leaps, just a second too late, Harrison throws his arms everywhere, but the ball gets pinned against Tyree’s helmet, they land hard on their backs and Tyree just gained 32 yards, a Giants‘ first down and keeps the New York drive alive! Amazing.

Tom Brady. Did he choke? I don’t think so. I’m not one to stand up for the Patriots, but, come on, to choke means you couldn’t handle the pressure and you simply fall flat on your ass. Tom Brady has never given up and admitted defeat. You literally have to pry victory out of his hands, like the Colts did in the AFC Championship game last year…and exactly what the Giants did to him this year. They stole his heart via 5 sacks, an unoffical 9 knockdowns and countless hurries. You can say that Brady was a little soft after a pretty safe and comfortable season behind that truly great Pats’ O-Line but give credit to those Giants.

I want to know how you all feel about the big win…Our beloved QB’s little bro just won so I’m guessing that the Giants were the favored team in Coltsdom so what are your thoughts? Thoughts on Belichick‘s M.O., Brady‘s rattled cage, Moss‘s non-presence, Eli‘s emerging stardom, Giant defensive dominance, Gisele, Tom Petty (hey, I loved it!) or anything else? Let’s hear you!

Oh well, it’s nothing new…the Patriots won, the Jags couldn’t get the job done. Now, it’s for some real football!

The Colts play the Chargers today at 1PM EST on CBS. If you remember, the Colts had half of their starters out during the last meeting and fell to about 23 points behind at Halftime. Manning threw a personal record 6 INTs to the Bolts and completely took him out of the game. Today, we find our boys are back in Blue. We should be at near strength besides a few sprints to shake off the rust and dust and cobwebs in Marvin‘s knees. Also, it looks like the Chargers may be without one of their best shallow threats and run blockers, TE Antonio Gates, but as of a couple of hours prior to kickoff he is listed as Probable. Cross your fingers!

Saturday, 12-Jan

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers…430pm EST
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots…800pm EST

Sunday, 13-Jan

San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts…100pm EST
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys…430pm EST

*****

The four best QBs in the league play today and tomorrow: Brett Favre, Tony Romo, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. It should be interesting to see which QBs fall because four of  the better defenses play against them this weekend: Seahawks, Giants, Chargers and Jaguars.

We’re in for a great weekend of football, but we have to root for those Jaguars more than any other team (except for our Colts, of course). The Jags and the Colts are the two teams that can do pull this “upset of the century” off and I think one of them is going to do it, too!