Hype! Hype! Hype!
Posted: February 3rd, 2008 | Filed under: Baseball | 16 Comments »
This Super Bowl week reminds me an awful lot of the week before the San Francisco-San Diego Super Bowl in, what was that, 1995? I should look that up in one of the seven million media guides they give you when you arrive here*.
* No kidding, you get two different Giants media guides. two different Patriots media guide. a Super Bowl media guide. a Hall of Fame media guide, a “Get Ready for next year’s Super Bowl in Tampa” media guide, a Fox television media guide, a halftime entertainment media guide … sheesh.
Anyway, that year, I remember getting to Miami, and it was clear that the 49ers were going to absolutely destroy the Chargers, I mean, there was no chance that game was even going to be close. That was the year Steve Young completed like 98% of his passes, and Jerry Rice caught 112 passes and the 49ers averaged 32 points per game and all that. Meanwhile, San Diego’s quarterback was Stan Humphries. I mean, this was going to be a BLOWOUT, all capital letters, there was no doubt about it.
But as the week goes on the at Super Bowl, you can become hypnotized by the hype. It just gets into your bloodstream. And I remember this very clearly — by Wednesday, I started thinking, “Well, wait a minute, the Chargers are pretty good at sacking the quarterback, they might make this game reasonably close if they get to Young.
By Friday, I was thinking, ”Well, you know, that Chargers power running game might neutralize San Francisco, sort of the way the Giants did against the Bills in the Super Bowl.”
And by Saturday, by Sunday morning, I was more or less convinced that this was going to be a close game at least, and that while the 49ers might win, you had to give San Diego the puncher’s chance. Anyway, it was going to be a good game.
Third play of that Super Bowl, Steve Young threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Jerry Rice — how about spending all that time preparing for the Super Bowl and then forgetting to cover Jerry Rice? — and it was like someone snapping me out of a trance. Oh yeah … I forgot. The Chargers SUCK. The 49ers are REALLY GOOD. Oh yeah, I remember now.
Anyway, I came to this Super Bowl entirely convinced that New England would win by four-plus touchdowns. We’re here in that same place again — the Patriots have the highest scoring offense in NFL history, they have the most lethal quarterback-receiver combination ever, they have a coach who, when given two weeks to prepare, can often come up with gameplans that make opposing coaches squawk like ducks. Meanwhile the Giants quarterback is the “four weeks ago he sucked” Eli Manning. There’s no chance this will be a good game. None. Zero chance.
Only the hype has been working me over. The hype has been getting to me. Eli has played well the last four weeks. Follow the watch. The Giants have a great pass rush. You are getting sleepy. Brandon Jacobs can plow through that Patriots team. You are asleep now. The Patriots haven’t been playing all that great lately.
No. I won’t be fooled again. Patriots 45, Giants 13.
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I’m with you Joe, right down to the final score…. except I think 45-10 Pats
I’m drinking the kool aid.
Giants 28 Pats 27
Joe, not only do you have the score just about right, but the game won’t even be that close.
Yeah it’s not gonna be close. I may have given credence to the Giants if the media didn’t overhype them, which means that the Patriots were slighted. And any slight gets magnified by 10000 by the Patriots into a winning mantra. These are the guys riding on Spygate, who torched that Pittsburgh safety on 2 TD plays because he guaranteed a victory, who turned a 100-yard game b/c of a loudmouth Charger defensive end. Now, with the Giant hype (there’s the necessary pun), Plaxico’s guarantee, and the fact that it’s the biggest game any of that team could play, the only suspense that’ll be related to the Super Bowl will be how many commercials will be good.
Yeah you’re right, it’s not as if the teams played 5 weeks ago and were separated by only 3 points in a game that meant everything to the Pats and nothing to the Giants . . .
oh, wait a sec.
Yeah you’re right, it’s not as if the teams played 5 weeks ago and were separated by only 3 points in a game that meant everything to the Pats and nothing to the Giants . . .
oh, wait a sec.
Yeah, and it’s not as if that game was played on the Giants’ home field, and with the Patriots missing the entire right side of their offensive line, and had literally ALL of the pressure on their shoulders, and would have won by double digits despite all that if not for a meaningless last-minute TD.
Oh wait a sec…
I wish I could express how I really feel about Arlen Specter – Mr. “this rises to the level of the Guantanamo CIA tapes” Let’s open our YAP a couple days before the super bowl because the big bad commissioner wouldn’t return your irresponsible letter back in November. If this isn’t the biggest bunch of sour grapes I don’t know what is – like no other teams have ever dared film another teams practice, or my goodness, there are video cameras at football games? Isn’t that what these people do 24-7 watch film and tape? Incessantly? Isn’t there two WARS going on Arlen? Isn’t there a RECESSION? Don’t you have anything better to do? And if anyone else saw how giddy little Steve Young was today on Sportscenter at the idea that these Patriots are “cheaters” and all their superbowls need to be asterisked or taken away, especially the 2002 win over the Rams because our new clubhouse “deepthroat” of the month some hapless videotaping kid, who’s now a golf pro in Maui is insinuating the Patriots did really bad “stuff”. Give me a break. I truly hope my prediction of Pats 36 Giants 20 comes true and Brady dedicates this one to Specter and Young who can cry all the way back to kindergarten.
And I couldn’t agree more, Joe. DT deserved the HOF. I too remember Tippet and I agree with Mr. White. 75% of DT on his best days.
Justyo, your the guy who comes off sounding petty in your rant. Obviously, Spector is a grandstanding idiot on this your right…….but Steve Young was hardly giddy he simply made the point that if the videotaping of the Ram’s practice really happened than that taints a stunning upset. There’s no way it doesn’t because from this point forward every time you think of that game you will think of the Pats shut down Faulk, Warner, etc completely for three quarters…….but if its true, you will also think that they may have had a little video help with that. That doesn’t mean they deserve an asterisk in the record book, but it certainly (if true) would be a part of the equation for that game.
“…if the videotaping of the Ram’s practice really happened than that taints a stunning upset. There’s no way it doesn’t because from this point forward every time you think of that game you will think of the Pats shut down Faulk, Warner, etc completely for three quarters…….but if its true, you will also think that they may have had a little video help with that. …”
That would be true if they’d videotaped something other than the walkthrough, but the Rams have already stated that the walkthrough in question was a rehearsal of their red zone playbook, and the Rams simply didn’t spend all that much time in the red zone in that game.
1st drive: Stopped at NE 40, punt
2nd drive: Stopped at NE 32, kicked 50-yd FG
3rd drive: Stopped at NE 34, missed FG
4th drive: Interception at STL 47, turnover
5th drive: Stopped at 50, punt
6th drive: Fumble at NE 45, turnover
7th drive: Took knee at STL 5, halftime
8th drive: Stopped at NE 48, punt
9th drive: Interception at NE 37, turnover
10th drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2-yd TD run
11th drive: Stopped at NE 49, punt
12th drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 26-yd TD pass
The Rams had ONE drive, their 10th, that went into the red zone, and they scored a TD on that one. Even presuming that the videotaping happened, how did video of the Rams’ red zone offense help the Patriots in a game that saw the Rams fail to reach the red zone on 11 of their 12 drives?
“Obviously, Spector is a grandstanding idiot on this your right.”
Thanks Kev. For a “petty” rant, I’m glad you wholeheartedly agree with it. And my definition of petty? A senior senator sticking his nose into football, two days before the Superbowl when there are few other more important issues out there. That, to me is petty. Peace.
I’ve been told by many a Pats fan that taping the NY Jets defensive signals during a game provides no real advantage to the Patriots.
I’ve also been told by many a Pats fan that their head coach, who risked the reputation of a 3-time super Bowl winning team, potential millions of dollars in fines (it turned out to be a $500K personal fine and $250k team fine), forfeiture of draft picks (they lost one first-rounder), and game suspensions (none imposed), all to do something he had been warned was illegal even though it provided his team no real advantage, is a genius.
Why do I get the feeling that at least one of those statements is not true?
BTW, the Pats will win today by at least 2 touchdowns, and Arlen Specter is a grandstanding idiot.
And thats why they play the game.
Well, looks like Paul has egg on his face.
Maybe the Pats should’ve gone with their o-line of week 17. Ha-ha.
Pssst — little secret, Giants didn’t play will all their guys, cough Bradshaw, in week 17 either, and they sure as heck didn’t show the Pats much of their defensive playbook.
As we saw tonight.
So, Joe, how many times did you have to re-write your column tonight? : – )
Jim in Chicago – I gave as accurate a description of the week 17 game as you did. Find me the post where I predicted a Patriots blow out, or even a Patriots win, and I’ll gladly wipe the egg off my face.
Hey Jeff P. As loathe as I am to say it. You deserve credit for the Giants pick. What a great win for them. Did you catch the trophy presentation when Goddell said, “This was the perfect outcome”. I think everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that spygate can now go away.