Dr. Awesome
Footballguy
Time to fire up an official thread to host all the chatter.
Jim and John Harbaugh coaching against one another.
Two unlikeable all time greats at the end of their career in Randy Moss and Ray Lewis.
SF is favored but Baltimore has been underestimated a lot. They weren't expected to beat Denver. They pulled out a nail biter. They weren't expected to beat New England. They stomped them.
Most people don't think too highly of Flacco but he's carried a 114 passer rating this postseason, while passing for 8 touchdowns against 0 interceptions. He's going against a second year player and rookie starter in Kaepernick, who has a 105.9 rating this postseason. While he's only passed for 3 touchdowns against 1 interception, he's thrown in another 202 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing.
Lots of great story lines, even if they are overplayed:
Jim and John Harbaugh coaching against one another.
Two unlikeable all time greats at the end of their career in Randy Moss and Ray Lewis.
SF is favored but Baltimore has been underestimated a lot. They weren't expected to beat Denver. They pulled out a nail biter. They weren't expected to beat New England. They stomped them.
Most people don't think too highly of Flacco but he's carried a 114 passer rating this postseason, while passing for 8 touchdowns against 0 interceptions. He's going against a second year player and rookie starter in Kaepernick, who has a 105.9 rating this postseason. While he's only passed for 3 touchdowns against 1 interception, he's thrown in another 202 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing.
Lots of great story lines, even if they are overplayed:
http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/the-dozen-overdone-super-bowl-story-lines/Of course if you're a fan of ESPN, the real question is apparently "Would Tebow have been able to lead SF to the Super Bowl?"It’s the official start of Super Bowl week. Below are the top dozen story lines you’ll be sick of hearing. These aren’t necessarily bad stories. In fact, they all deserve to be written and told. But not 10,000 times.
12. Patrick Willis
Over/under for number of combined times he and Ray Lewis are asked about each other: 1,000. If it turns out to be 1,000 times, 999 of them will be for stories about some sort of torch passing. And of those 999, fewer than 50 will adequately acknowledge that the lesser-known NaVorro Bowman might actually be San Francisco’s best linebacker.
11. Randy Moss
You may have forgotten that he’s San Francisco’s No. 2 receiver. He’s older, wiser, still just as reclusive but, thankfully, forced to talk publicly this week. Too bad he knows he’s older and wiser….it’d be more fun if he’d inexplicably spouted off like in the old days.
10. The player who tries to make Media Day about himself by running his mouth
Money’s on Terrell Suggs.
9. Niners offensive line
Surely one or two – or 500 – reporters will want to take the “unique” angle of spotlighting the guys who are never spotlighted. They’ll go in-depth on the “nameless” Niners front five, probably calling them the best O-line since the Cowboys of the early 90s. This, of course, is an exaggeration, but since Troy Aikman said it a time or two, and since these Niners linemen are really big and it’s the Super Bowl, we’ll run with it.
8. The Running Backs
Frank Gore and Ray Rice. Both really good players. Both really nice guys. Both willing to do anything to help their teams win. Now let’s spend 25 paragraphs or a 5-minute TV spot to tell you all about that.
7. Alex Smith
Hopefully he’ll do folks a favor and break down, admit his despair and gripe about how mistreated he’s been. The sports media will try to help him get there by asking how it feels to see his team reach the big stage with some young guy who stole his job while he was concussed. Whatever Smith says, hopefully it’s not too gracious.
6. The underdog story, propagated by someone playing the overused, completely ridiculous “nobody is giving us a chance so we’ll just keep proving doubters wrong” card
Brought to you this year by Ray Lewis.
5. Joe Flacco
Flashy he is not. But charmingly cantankerous? Sometimes. Flacco doesn’t always refrain from sarcasm when answering stupid questions. And he has little doubt in his talent as a quarterback. He’s also up for a new contract after this season, which more than a few reporters will point out.
4. Harbaugh Parents
It must be fun to have two sons coaching in the Super Bowl!!! Oh, and also miserable. You know, because of the nerves and all. No, they’re not rooting for one son over the other (polite chuckle). They love both boys no matter what. And they’re proudest of all by what kind of husbands and fathers they are. Oh, and did you know that the father, Jack, also coached!?
3. Colin Kaepernick
You’ve got the phenom angle (which needs to be covered now because history tells us that quarterbacks who prosper immediately after taking over in midseason often come back to Earth once the rest of the league spends an off-season studying their film). You have the human interest angle (Kaepernick was adopted; he wrote a cute letter to himself in fourth grade about one day playing for the 49ers; he seems to have a congenial personality). You also have the analytical angle (is his read-option style revolutionizing pro football? Yes! Of course it is. He’s the future. Because this is the Super Bowl!).
2. Ray Lewis’s last game
Think he might play this one up a bit? Lewis has been great for the N.F.L. Truly. He’s one of the best to ever put on shoulder pads. His leadership is legit. And, lately, he has seemingly traded some of his athleticism for more emotional fire. Lewis has somehow increased his intensity from “way too high” to “way, way too high.” It’s not uncommon for him to pound his chest, conjure tears of passion, talk to the heavens, motivate teammates with face-to-face talks that are literally face-to-face and then break into dance all in the span of two minutes. And he doesn’t mind if you catch it on camera. Lewis has always been this way. But lately, it’s gone to such extremes that he now seems like a Saturday Night Live character doing an impression of Ray Lewis.
1. Harbaugh Brothers
If you’re curious about how Jim’s and John’s personalities compare, or about the dynamics of their childhood or their current day-to-day relationship, you’ll get to hear all about it. If you don’t care one bit about their personalities, childhood or relationship, you’ll still get to hear all about it.