Bleh.
The reasons for my disgust run deep. I'll admit that part of my disgust comes from the fact that I am a devout Washington Redskins fan, meaning that any time a fellow NFC East rival is featured in the Super Bowl I experience a feeling of hatred and jealously so strong that I'm left only to curse Dan Snyder and the football gods themselves.. and wallow in my own self-pity. The other part of my disgust is due to the fact that this just isn't an exciting matchup, and the irresistible story lines that usually accompany the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl won't be as captivating this year.
Before I start on why I dislike the matchup, I must say that it really grinds my gears thinking about the way each team arrived at this point. I despise when great games (such as the two conference championship games this past Sunday) end in such flukey ways. A kicker horribly pulling a 32-yard field goal at the end of regulation? A virtually unknown player filling in for an injured player turning the ball over twice on punt returns to cost his team 10 points, and consequently, the game? Despicable. If the Pats and Giants, two teams among my most hated in football, are going to make it to this sacred sporting event, at least they shouldn't have had their wins handed to them on a silver platter.
Why, God? Why??
What hurts the most is that we were that close to an all-Harbaugh Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most fascinating teams of this NFL season, would have been exciting to watch play for a ring. As we all know, the 49ers have a rich history of winning, but for the past decade they have been simply abysmal. Last year's 49ers, headed by an all-time soundbite great, coach Mike Singletary, was the team that was supposed to end the recent trend of failure. But they didn't. They ended the season at 6-10, good for 3rd place in the NFC West--a season sufficiently disappointing to end Singletary's run as head coach, and any hopes of the 49ers returning to their former glory. Enter Jim Harbaugh, the former head coach of Stanford University, to take over this seemingly hopeless franchise. In one short season (with a short off-season due to the lockout) Harbaugh was able to conduct a complete turn around of this team, leading them to a 13-3 season, and in the process, reviving the career of former 1st overall draft pick Alex Smith. The 49ers embodied a style of football seldom seen in today's NFL: tough, aggressive, and fundamentally-sound defense (every game they put on a tackling clinic), paired with a great ground attack on offense. It was refreshing to see this classic franchise to return to greatness with an old-school attitude.
Then there's the Ravens, coached by Jim's older brother John. The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the NFL's most successful franchises for the past decade, seemingly contending every season. The Ravens are known for their perennially tremendous defense, and for good reason. Ray Lewis is the greatest defensive player of this generation, and arguably of all time. Every year, this guy approaches the game with an enthusiasm and intensity that is second-to-none. If there's anybody who deserves to compete for another ring, it's Lewis. The same can be said for Ed Reed, arguably the greatest defensive back of this era, who had the misfortune of missing out on the Ravens Super Bowl victory in 2001. I always root for hard-working, tough players, and the Ravens roster seems to be full of them. Lewis, Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice---all phenomenal players who I wish had had a shot at the Lombardi Trophy.
I wish I could have seen the Harbaugh brothers compete for the trophy this season. The Harbaughs are among the most gifted coaches in all of football, and seem to have the right mixture of smarts, toughness, and class, to be great NFL coaches. They are poised to be the premier coaches in football for the next decade, possibly even two. On a side note, the Harbaugh family seems to have a fetish for the letter "J" that I personally find hilarious--the Harbaugh family: Jack (father), Jackie (mother), John, Jim, and Joani (sister). Who wouldn't root for that family?
The point here is that it would have been awesome to see two old-school teams, with head coaches who will likely be among the league's most successful for years to come, compete for a championship. I believe it would have been a matchup for the ages, and it's a shame that we were robbed of the opportunity to watch it.
The Giants are another story. If I hear another ESPN pundit talk about Eli Manning and how he could surpass his brother Peyton's legacy if he wins a second Super Bowl I might hang myself. Let's get this straight, folks: Eli Manning has never been, and will never be, even close to as great as Peyton. Super Bowl wins matter, but they don't matter that much. Teams win Super Bowls, not just the quarterbacks. Peyton Manning is one of the most statistically impressive quarterbacks of all time, and contrary to popular thought, he was a winner. He almost single-handedly had the Colts competing for a championship every single season, and while they only won it once, that's good enough for me. Eli Manning is no doubt very good quarterback, but he's also among the streakiest in the league. In his 8-year career, I can't count how many times I've heard people talk about how he has taken the step up to the elite-quarterback level, only to have them talk about how he's holding the team back two weeks later, or about how he isn't a winner, or about how he doesn't have enough fire in the belly. Maybe that's just because he plays in New York and is therefore under a lot scrutiny, or maybe it's just because he's just not a consistent quarterback. I tend to lean towards the latter. This is, after all, the same man who lost TWICE to my beloved 5-11 Redskins this season. Twice. Contrarily, no one ever has questioned Peyton's play; he has always been great. So, please, let us cease that debate. I hate the Giants for the fact that they are a division rival, but I also hate them because they're in New York, and because Giants fans are among the most irritating in all of sports. It would sicken me to watch them win yet another Super Bowl.
But nope--we have the inferior Manning vs. the supermodel's husband. The prune-faced coach vs. the hooded-sweatshirt a**hole. Boston vs. New York. Again.
I can't wait.
Why, God? Why??
What hurts the most is that we were that close to an all-Harbaugh Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most fascinating teams of this NFL season, would have been exciting to watch play for a ring. As we all know, the 49ers have a rich history of winning, but for the past decade they have been simply abysmal. Last year's 49ers, headed by an all-time soundbite great, coach Mike Singletary, was the team that was supposed to end the recent trend of failure. But they didn't. They ended the season at 6-10, good for 3rd place in the NFC West--a season sufficiently disappointing to end Singletary's run as head coach, and any hopes of the 49ers returning to their former glory. Enter Jim Harbaugh, the former head coach of Stanford University, to take over this seemingly hopeless franchise. In one short season (with a short off-season due to the lockout) Harbaugh was able to conduct a complete turn around of this team, leading them to a 13-3 season, and in the process, reviving the career of former 1st overall draft pick Alex Smith. The 49ers embodied a style of football seldom seen in today's NFL: tough, aggressive, and fundamentally-sound defense (every game they put on a tackling clinic), paired with a great ground attack on offense. It was refreshing to see this classic franchise to return to greatness with an old-school attitude.
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| The faces of premier NFL coaching for years to come? I'm thinking yes. |
Then there's the Ravens, coached by Jim's older brother John. The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the NFL's most successful franchises for the past decade, seemingly contending every season. The Ravens are known for their perennially tremendous defense, and for good reason. Ray Lewis is the greatest defensive player of this generation, and arguably of all time. Every year, this guy approaches the game with an enthusiasm and intensity that is second-to-none. If there's anybody who deserves to compete for another ring, it's Lewis. The same can be said for Ed Reed, arguably the greatest defensive back of this era, who had the misfortune of missing out on the Ravens Super Bowl victory in 2001. I always root for hard-working, tough players, and the Ravens roster seems to be full of them. Lewis, Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice---all phenomenal players who I wish had had a shot at the Lombardi Trophy.
I wish I could have seen the Harbaugh brothers compete for the trophy this season. The Harbaughs are among the most gifted coaches in all of football, and seem to have the right mixture of smarts, toughness, and class, to be great NFL coaches. They are poised to be the premier coaches in football for the next decade, possibly even two. On a side note, the Harbaugh family seems to have a fetish for the letter "J" that I personally find hilarious--the Harbaugh family: Jack (father), Jackie (mother), John, Jim, and Joani (sister). Who wouldn't root for that family?
The point here is that it would have been awesome to see two old-school teams, with head coaches who will likely be among the league's most successful for years to come, compete for a championship. I believe it would have been a matchup for the ages, and it's a shame that we were robbed of the opportunity to watch it.
But alas, instead we are left with the Patriots and the Giants, a rematch from 2007's Super Bowl. We get
to hear all over again about how great Tom Brady is and how he's the best quarterback of our time, and about Belichick and his quiet genius. All I see is a pretty boy and a coach that can't even look presentable for an NFL game and who won't give the media the time of day. I'm tired of seeing that damn hoodie. I'm tired of the Patriots and I'm even more tired of Boston.
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| The Grinch himself |
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| Can you really root for this guy? |
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| ..Or this guy? At the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, the matchup is set to go, and as much as I wish I could be bold and skip out on the Super Bowl (go skiing, perhaps? watch a cricket match?), in all likelihood I'll be sitting on my couch in front of the TV on February 5th watching the big game. And then I'll get to hear all the damn New Englanders and New Yorkers that I attend school with either celebrate or bitch about the game for weeks on end. Smdh... |
We could have had the Harbaugh Bowl. Jim vs. John. Ray Lewis vs. Patrick Willis. Ray Rice vs. Frank Gore.
But nope--we have the inferior Manning vs. the supermodel's husband. The prune-faced coach vs. the hooded-sweatshirt a**hole. Boston vs. New York. Again.
I can't wait.
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