Skip Bayless's article "Wake Me Up When It's Over" (1 Viewer)

[Capella]

lol at bayless reeling all of you right in.

Skip:

All of you:

I will say that if this game took place during the regular-season, I wouldn't even go out of my way to watch.

I don't get this. Clearly, the best team in each conference is playing here, neither left any doubt on their way to this game. Steeler fan aside, for me, that's what the Super Bowl is all about - this is a GREAT matchup. 3.5 point line says a lot too. We're likely headed towards a very entertaining, close game - plus, you have one team with as rich a tradition as any franchise in the league, and another playing in its first Super Bowl in team history. What more do you want?

Nothing about the game excites me, other than it's the Super Bowl. There's no sure-fire Hall of Famers (except probably Walter Jones), no drama between the teams, no team climbling the mountain like the Eagles last year, no team trying to stay on top like the Pats last year. Nothing that ties them together like Gruden going against the Raiders, no big underdog like the Pats going against the Rams. You're a homer, I don't expect you to agree.

OK, those are reasons I can understand, I was just curious. To me, it's (as most recent Super Bowls have been) a much better game than in years past (the 90s come to mind - snoozefest 56-10 games every damn year, it seemed.) That's how I qualify a good Super Bowl, rather than by the storylines/angles.BTW - Bettis is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, regardless of whether or not you or I thinks he's qualified.

Yeah I forgot about Bettis. I don't actually expect him to play a big part in the game.All I'm saying is, the hype for this game does nothing for me. I like my Super Bowls to have a little bit of intrigue going into the game -- I already expect them to be a solid matchup.

As for the regular-season comment -- this just isn't a game I'd think to myself "man, I can't miss that."

But you're a Bucs fan, doesn't that apply to 99% of the games the Bucs have ever played?

Swiiiing and a miss.

 

[mbuehner]

Any man that actually managed to drag the Chicago Tribune sportspage down further into the depths of inanity should be feared and shunned. Thank god he's gone, it elevated the Trib back to the lofty of heights of merely useless.

I know its weird to have a story of a football game confined to finding out which one is the best team by having them play each other, but its what we got. Sadly this foces Bayless to actually examine something related to sports, which he clearly views as beneath him as a sports writer. This is the guy that spent a career in Chicago badmouthing Michael Jordan in his prime. Disturbing to say the least.

This is a great game and im pumped to see it. These are two fundamentally sound teams that have easilly proven themselves the best of the contenders (and then some). You dont get that every year. These teams are so similar in so many ways it is scary. I have my own instincts on who takes it (take the 4 and run with it!, never look back!) but there is no real smart money. This game would be a pick if there werent a billion Steelers fans out there. I guess for the (shall I say) casual fans this isnt that exciting. No name brands (gee the guy setting the single season TD record, is he playing?), no dynasties on the line (do we really need to see Vinatieri kick another game winner? thats dramatic? no, thats money), no grudge match (cant we give the Colts a muligan to spike the ratings?). Just two great teams that seem destined to put on one hell of a football game. Well there's always next year.

 

[cstu]

Any man that actually managed to drag the Chicago Tribune sportspage down further into the depths of inanity should be feared and shunned. Thank god he's gone, it elevated the Trib back to the lofty of heights of merely useless.

I know its weird to have a story of a football game confined to finding out which one is the best team by having them play each other, but its what we got. Sadly this foces Bayless to actually examine something related to sports, which he clearly views as beneath him as a sports writer. This is the guy that spent a career in Chicago badmouthing Michael Jordan in his prime. Disturbing to say the least.

This is a great game and im pumped to see it. These are two fundamentally sound teams that have easilly proven themselves the best of the contenders (and then some). You dont get that every year. These teams are so similar in so many ways it is scary. I have my own instincts on who takes it (take the 4 and run with it!, never look back!) but there is no real smart money. This game would be a pick if there werent a billion Steelers fans out there. I guess for the (shall I say) casual fans this isnt that exciting. No name brands (gee the guy setting the single season TD record, is he playing?), no dynasties on the line (do we really need to see Vinatieri kick another game winner? thats dramatic? no, thats money), no grudge match (cant we give the Colts a muligan to spike the ratings?). Just two great teams that seem destined to put on one hell of a football game. Well there's always next year.

The guy is the biggest moron in TV sports - and yes, that's includes Stephen A. Smith. He somehow manages to make Woody seem intelligent.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

lol at bayless reeling all of you right in.

Skip:

All of you:

I will say that if this game took place during the regular-season, I wouldn't even go out of my way to watch.

I don't get this. Clearly, the best team in each conference is playing here, neither left any doubt on their way to this game. Steeler fan aside, for me, that's what the Super Bowl is all about - this is a GREAT matchup. 3.5 point line says a lot too. We're likely headed towards a very entertaining, close game - plus, you have one team with as rich a tradition as any franchise in the league, and another playing in its first Super Bowl in team history. What more do you want?

I disagree with this on both accounts, although I don't feel like getting in a huge argument over it.I think Carolina and Indy are the best teams in each conference. I think Carolina felt the sting of playing 4 straight on the road and not having a bye week and playing at Seattle, and I think Indy just had one bad game. I would actually put NE at #3 and then these two teams.

But thats not to say that these teams aren't deserving. They both beat who was put in front of them, so congrats to them both.

XSeattle was the #1 seed in the NFC and THUMPED Carolina. I actually predicted the Panthers would win that game (nice call) but after watching it, I have no idea how you can say Carolina was the better team. They got housed - even BNB would say so.

Indianapolis may have been the best team in the AFC for most of the regular season, but at playoff time they weren't close. They rested WAY too much and got exposed at home against the Steelers. The record books will show a 3-point win, but Pittsburgh absolutely pwn3d Indy in that game and are clearly a better, more complete football team right now.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I am looking forward to a very compelling contest. That the national media types don't see this as a worthy game only confirms their lack of intelligence and imagination. They are always looking to the past so that they are surprised when the future emerges.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

lol at bayless reeling all of you right in.

Skip:

All of you:

I will say that if this game took place during the regular-season, I wouldn't even go out of my way to watch.

I don't get this. Clearly, the best team in each conference is playing here, neither left any doubt on their way to this game. Steeler fan aside, for me, that's what the Super Bowl is all about - this is a GREAT matchup. 3.5 point line says a lot too. We're likely headed towards a very entertaining, close game - plus, you have one team with as rich a tradition as any franchise in the league, and another playing in its first Super Bowl in team history. What more do you want?

Nothing about the game excites me, other than it's the Super Bowl. There's no sure-fire Hall of Famers (except probably Walter Jones), no drama between the teams, no team climbling the mountain like the Eagles last year, no team trying to stay on top like the Pats last year. Nothing that ties them together like Gruden going against the Raiders, no big underdog like the Pats going against the Rams. You're a homer, I don't expect you to agree.

OK, those are reasons I can understand, I was just curious. To me, it's (as most recent Super Bowls have been) a much better game than in years past (the 90s come to mind - snoozefest 56-10 games every damn year, it seemed.) That's how I qualify a good Super Bowl, rather than by the storylines/angles.BTW - Bettis is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, regardless of whether or not you or I thinks he's qualified.

Yeah I forgot about Bettis. I don't actually expect him to play a big part in the game.All I'm saying is, the hype for this game does nothing for me. I like my Super Bowls to have a little bit of intrigue going into the game -- I already expect them to be a solid matchup.

As for the regular-season comment -- this just isn't a game I'd think to myself "man, I can't miss that."

I follow you.Bayless cracked me up in that article by saying that Walter Jones was the only surefire HOF'er in the game (like if he blew his leg up Sunday and never played again, he'd be a cinch - )

He also said that "best case" - the Steelers have 3 HOF candidates, Bettis, Roethlisberger, and Polamalu - and that no-one else has a chance. I had to laugh at that. Walter Jones is a cinch, but Faneca has no chance - they've both been to 5 Pro Bowls although Faneca has been around 1 fewer season than Jones. OK, Skip. And Ward, I suppose, hasn't got a prayer, despite the fact that he's already got almost 600 receptions, nearly 7,000 yards and over 50 TDs and he's 29. He's missed 1 game in his career and LOVES to play, if he only plays until age 35 (entirely possible for a guy like him) - at his current pace, he'd have 1,040 catches for 12,597 yards and 97 TDs. Those are Steve Largent numbers.

Bayless = numbnuts, whether I agree with his opinion of this game or not.

Edit to add : that's just the Steelers I'm talking about also, haven't even mentioned Shaun Alexander....

Hines Ward has no chance imo of being a HOFer. Largent played in a different era. Compare Largents numbers against his peers to Ward's numbers against his peers. I agree with you about Faneca. I don't think Bettis is a lock.

Bettis IS a lock.Saying Ward has no chance is nuts. I'm not saying he'll definitely make it, but he clearly has a shot. Jerry Rice was still putting up numbers at age 40, who's to say Ward can't do that (or come close)? I'm not saying they're comparable talents, but Ward, like Rice, has a game that is not predicated on top-end speed or elusiveness - he's a great route runner and has excellent hands. These talents erode a LOT more slowly than do speed and agility. It really depends how long Ward wants to play the game.

If you want to compare Ward to his peers, that works too. Using the data dominator to evaluate the past 4 seasons, Ward ranks :

5th in receiving yards (4612)

4th in TDs (39)

3rd in receptions (366)

This despite only ranking 7th in targets due to the Steelers' running style. Add to this that he is a team leader and the best blocking receiver in football (maybe ever) and I think your assertion that he has "no chance" is way, way off.

 

[Christo]

I am so psyched for this Super Bowl, and I have no vested interest in either team.

Me too.The reporters don't have a "hook" to fill the two weeks prior to the game. So what? Is that really what sports has come to? The game is not worthy of our attention if there's no "non-football" story leading up to it?

Who of us would have loved to have made it through bowl season without having to listen to all of the crap spewed by ESPN about USC during every single bowl game leading up to the NC game?

I'm just looking forward to a good game.

 

[Christo]

From the first few lines of the article:

If you love your Seahawks or your Steelers, please quit reading now. This isn't for you.

Reading comprehension down?

I'm not a fan of either team and the article wasn't for me either.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I am so psyched for this Super Bowl, and I have no vested interest in either team.

Me too.The reporters don't have a "hook" to fill the two weeks prior to the game. So what? Is that really what sports has come to? The game is not worthy of our attention if there's no "non-football" story leading up to it?

Who of us would have loved to have made it through bowl season without having to listen to all of the crap spewed by ESPN about USC during every single bowl game leading up to the NC game?

I'm just looking forward to a good game.

That's what I'm saying. If I want drama, I'll watch a soap opera. I want to see a good football game when I turn on the Super Bowl.