In the interest of time and my prejudice against dial-up internet, I am going to make my Super Bowl post short and sweet.
I would like to first point out that after going 1-3 in the second round (including 0-2 in SAFE PICKS) I redeemed myself by picking both of the Conference Championship Games correctly. I have yet to find anybody, sportswriter or peer, who replicated my feat. This final pick though may prove to be a bit tougher...
Over the past two weeks, I've wavered back and forth. I initially thought the Steelers were going to win...then I thought the Seahawks...then back to the Steelers...and now?
I know one thing for sure: It's going to be a close game and a great game to watch. Both of these teams deserve to be playing in Detroit (despite what Skip Bayless says) and are underrated and underappreciated. The mantra of the Steelers under Cowher has always been "when in doubt, grind it out", but Ben Rothelisberger has become, in just his second season, one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the league, very capable of winning the game with his arm. But let's not overlook the guy under center on the other team...Matt Hasselbeck is equally talented and equally underappreciated. The media's storyline here (other than the heartwarming tale of Jerome Betis returning to his hometown for one last shot at a Super Bowl ring) is the brawny, brash defense of the Steelers against NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, but I assure you that these two teams are nearly equal in every aspect of the game. This should prove to be one of the best matchups that I personally have ever seen in a Super Bowl and I am excited to watch.
In a game where both teams are capable and deserving of winning, who do you pick? I for one have decided to analyze the media coverage during the past two weeks. I have noticed that the majority of sports writers and analysts have picked Pittsburgh to win. Vegas has the Steelers favored by 4 1/2 points in what should be an even spread.
I came to my final decision based on a cardinal rule in Bill Simmons' original NFL picking Manifesto: In a toss-up, find out what team is being favored by the media, and pick against them. The Seahawks have been ignored all season long, even after clinching their division before Christmas, even after clinching homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, and even after handily beating a Carolina team that most of the media expected to win. After Sunday, it will be impossible to ignore them any longer...
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haha... u were wrong young Benji Thurber. Whats sad is that u missed one CRUCIAL piece of evidence, a piece of evidence that you should have easily seen. Sports illustrated ran an article at the start of the postseason about the Steelers. It was ripe with comments on how the whole team was dedicated to winning the 'ship for da Bus; how every player respected him; how they all cried for him last year, etc. AS a former competitive athlete you understand the value of a team having a collective motivation, and the valee of emotional motivation.
A man with much more knowledge about what makes a winning team, Bill Beany(8 National Championships), cited the article to his team before a playoff game and dared anyone to take a bet with him betting on the steelers. I wish I had money to follow HIS advice back then.
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