Championship Sunday provides as much angst to football fans as satisfaction. The enjoyment of the game cannot be experienced without this nagging voice in the back of your head saying, “It’s almost over… soon there will be nothing but college basketball and hockey!” This Sunday represents one more chance to ignore domestic duty in the name of “watching the game honey” (if this strategy works in your household, good for you!). One more chance to deepen the body indentation in your couch… one more chance to experience the long gluttonous football Sunday. Ahhhhhh, football.
NFL delivered the goods this year. San Fran, Seattle, New England and Denver represent the leagues elite. As if that weren’t good enough, each match up has built in rivalries and story lines galore. The talking heads are wiping the drool off their respective shoe tops. Expect to hear the following from the talking heads throughout the week. The capital letters represents the melodrama in their voices. Personally, I always like to envision Skip Bayless saying this stuff.
“CAN PEYTON MANNING OVERCOME HIS NEMESIS TOM BRADY?
“BELICHICK IS A GREAT COACH, BUT I’LL TELL YOU WHAT… THIS MAY BE HIS BEST WORK YET.”
“THERE’S NO LOVE LOSS BETWEEN THE 49ERS AND THE SEAHAWKS. THESE GUYS JUST PLAIN DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER”.
“CAN THE SAINTS WIN ON THE ROAD? I KNOW THEY ALREADY LOST, BUT WE ARE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO ASK”
“IS JIM HARGAUGH CLINICALLY INSANE?”…ok, so you probably won’t hear this one from the talking heads, but I imagine them actually thinking it.
The Denver/New England match up is viewed as a great rivalry or as the “I’m so sick of watching these guys” game. Through either vantage point, the juxtaposition is clear. Manning was the first pick of the draft and most highly touted college prospect since John Elway. Brady was infamously selected in the 6th round and split starting reps in college. Manning was immediately thrust into the starting lineup and won rookie of the year. Brady barely made the team and got an opportunity to start when Drew Bledsoe was injured. Manning’s high powered offense features several pro bowlers; Brady’s pro bowlers from one year ago are injured, in prison, now playing with Manning, or as his current case – featuring an endless supply of retreads and short white guys. Manning has always smelled like the favorite and Brady the underdog with huge chip on his shoulder.
Manning and Bray have appeared in public to be respected competitors; no noticeable dislike for one another. I’ve chosen to view there rivalry from a much less rational perspective.
Maybe there’s no TMZ worthy footage of a Brady-Manning fight…if there were footage maybe it’d look like this epic Slater/Morris showdown. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJeVGiNAG5Y&sns=em] Slater has to be at least -260 favorite in this fight. Clearly he’s the Peyton of the duo. Slater has always been expected to win these fights. Preppy (or Brady, if you wil)l, holds his own as a sizable underdog with his aggression and suave. The tension between the two of them was always Kelly. Much like the tension between Manning and Brady has always been the Lombardi Trophy. How do you think Vince Lombardi would feel about having his name used within a Saved by the Bell Analogy? What the hell is going on out there?
Brady has won three Super Bowls and appeared in five. Manning has won one time and appeared twice. (The opposing quarterback in Manning’s lone Super Bowl win: Rex Grossman…I will say that again, he beat REX BLEEPING GROSSMAN). Brady’s ability to play big when it mattered most and Manning’s tendency to get tight in the same situations has further accentuated the juxtaposition. Ultimately, Manning is seen as a stat monster, devouring regular season records while Tom Brady is viewed as a winner.
One random thought before moving on to the NFC…
• Dan Dierdorf called his last game as an analyst on CBS. Dierdorf’s career as an analyst is known best for his double negatives and for how everyone you know hates having to listen to him. “GUYS, DONT THINK FOR ONE MINUTE THAT TOM BRADY ISN’T FIRED UP FOR THIS GAME!” He really leaned into the double negatives. Dierdorf is also the first analyst to champion the philosophy that offensive lineman are the smartest on the field. This theory, of course, always lost credibility given the fact that Dierdorf played offensive line. Dierdorf’s ability to garner hate across demographics always blew me away. He’s loathed by old, young, male, female fans alike. Anytime you watched a game with friends and became aware Dierdorf was calling the game, several people in the room groaned. “Oh, what the hell? Dierdorf? I hate this guy.”
Look for part two in a few days overlooking the storylines of Seattle-‘Frisco.
[By Patrick Mackenna]
(The preceding article is a guest submission for NiagaraHub.com. The content or opinion expressed within does not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of NiagaraHub.com. Readers are encouraged to submit articles and videos, but NiagaraHub.com expresses the right to approve or disapprove each submission. Each submission will be posted as is.)
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