Super Bowl XLI Thread

[ferrarimanf355]

So, Colts or Da Bears? 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'll be rooting for the Colts. I think we'll get a look at the real (read: crappy) Rex Grossman...

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[Phoenix Dark]

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

RIP Brady. He did amazing things this season with little talent to work with. For that he deserves even more respect. Trust me, he'll be back.

Colts...meh. Although I've been warming up to Peyton due to his hilarious commercials I just can't root for him until he wins a Superbowl. Therefore I'll be rooting for the Bears even though things could get ugly for them with Rex

[bagofeyes]

The Bears are my favourite squadron

[Phoenix Dark]

This could be a very, very boring Superbowl. Don't expect the Bears to do much against the Colt's defense, at least in the air.

[demi]

Bears

[ferrarimanf355]

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

RIP Brady. He did amazing things this season with little talent to work with. For that he deserves even more respect. Trust me, he'll be back.

Colts...meh. Although I've been warming up to Peyton due to his hilarious commercials I just can't root for him until he wins a Superbowl. Therefore I'll be rooting for the Bears even though things could get ugly for them with Rex

Like my local paper said, Grossman isn't just inconsistent one game to the next- he's inconsistent one play to the next. It's going to be murder being a Bears fan and watching Super Bowl XLI. Da Superfans will all collectively have heart failure. 

[The Fake Shemp]

That AFC Championship is going to rank as one of the best playoff games of all-time, and I concur, it's pretty incredible considering the complete lack of talent on the Patriots' offense.  Outside of those that really follow football, think anyone off the street could name anyone on the Pats' offense save for Tom Brady?  Their starting wideouts were Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell. 

I think they're going to definitely have to cut Caldwell after this game - he was awful.  The Pats need a legit workhorse RB too; Dillion has too much mileage on him (he's done) and Maroney is not that guy (he's your 3rd down-type of back).  The good news is that the Patriots offensive woes are pretty easily rectified, as all they really need is a legit starting wideout and a new running back.  The latter can always be acquired in the draft, because RBs make an impact out of the gate and wideouts are pretty cheap nowadays.

Colts got two young guys in Addai and Rhodes, along with a great line and the best two WRs and most profilic QB in the game.

Honestly, if the Pats fix some holes, I forsee more Pats/Colts match ups for years tocome.

[The Fake Shemp]

And arguably, this is the best rivalry since the 49ers/Cowboys dynasties.

[Mr. Gundam]

Oh, thank God! Fuck Tom Brady in his stupid ass!!

I'm picking the Colts to beat the Bears with a final score of something like 27-21.

[Phoenix Dark]

And arguably, this is the best rivalry since the 49ers/Cowboys dynasties.

QFT

The last two years especially. It looked like the Patriots would fall off a lot this year but Brady manned the ship very well. Like you said, all they need is a couple fixes on offense. Defensively they were hit by some big injuries (Harrison comes to mind, especially here) which is something that's hard to avoid.

Congrats to the Colts and Manning though; I didn't think Manning could do it and I was dead wrong.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm picking the Colts to beat the Bears with a final score of something like 27-21.

7 FGs for the Bears sounds reasonable I suppose

[The Fake Shemp]

I don't understand the hate for Tom Brady.  He's always been a team player and never a jerk or caused problems in the locker room.  I guess it's cool in sports to hate the team that wins, but how you can hate a team that has Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell as their starting wideouts is beyond me.

I don't think the Colts/Bears will be much of a game.  The Colts defense has been fired up since Bob Sanders return and Rex Grossman is too inconsistent.  That is where the game will be lost, because I think the Bears defense versus the Colts offense will be a stalemate.

I actually wanted the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl, if only for The Hoodied One to dream up some nightmarish defensive scheme that would destroy Grossman's confidence for years to come.

[The Fake Shemp]

At least Manning won't pull a Marino, by going to the Hall of Fame without a NFL Films "big one" playoff win under his belt.  When all is said and done, he probably will have the best numbers in history.  I mean, he's only 31-years-old.

And that's what is great - Brady is just 29.  Both team have irreplaceable, once-in-a-lifetime core pieces that will make them contenders for at least another seven years.  So while the AFC have the Patriots and Colts, and (coming soon to an AFC Championsip near you) baby Chargers... the NFC has, uh, the Bears?

What the fuck.

[BlueTsunami]

Fucken Colts. This SuperBowl is fucken unnatural

[Mr. Gundam]

I don't understand the hate for Tom Brady.  He's always been a team player and never a jerk or caused problems in the locker room.

Heh, I have a problem with all the man-whoring photo shoots more than anything else.

[BlueTsunami]

[Phoenix Dark]

People don't hate Brady as much as they hate the league/media's treatment of him. Same with Peyton but to  a smaller extent. Brady is the most successful QB in the NFL right now but there are many hardcore fans out there who are unwilling to put him up there with a Montana or Elway, which is what the media likes to do; earlier today I was listening to the pre game reports on the radio and on at least 5 occassions Brady was compared to Montana.

To many Brady is a semi talented QB who was in the right place at the right time. Personally I love the guy. I loved watching him at Michigan and got to meet him once. And you'd think this year people would finally admit that he's a pretty damn good QB, especially when you consider the talent Peyton/Eli/Brees/etc worked with this year

[BlueTsunami]

The "Right place at the right time" argument lost its effect when Brady was "in the right place at the right time" 3 times in 4 years

[The Fake Shemp]

Yeah, the dude has gone to the AFC Championship four times in the past six years, won three rings and has worked with offensive talent that'd make a decent NFL Europe team at best.

[Phoenix Dark]

Exactly. I can understand why people were upset with the Patriots' first championship and the "controversy" surrounding it (Oakland), but come on. They've won 2 more rings since then and have been extremely competitive even in "down" years. They have earned that.

I'm noticing a lot of similar complaining about Miami's miracle last year in the NBA although this year has been a disaster for them.

[The Fake Shemp]

As long as Bill is coaching and Brady is taking snaps, the Patriots will be a conference powerhouse.  They'll probably nab at least one more Super Bowl before all is said and done.

[The Fake Shemp]

Same thing with the Colts.  Addai is the new hotness, Manning is a monster, Harrison still has life left and Reggie Wayne is taking that Torry Holt to Issac Bruce role.

[BlueTsunami]

Peyton is destined for a Ring but it would be extremely hilarious if hes beaten out by Rex in the SB

[Phoenix Dark]

Basically the only team in their way is the Colts. The Steelers need to get their run game in order, the Bengels need to get their asses out of court, and the NFC needs to...lol. Maybe they should be given steroids, hell that would make things at least semi even

[The Fake Shemp]

The Steelers are a fluke, like the Buccaneers' one Super Bowl.  Roethlisberger is a second tier quarterback, they've got no running game and if they get Mike Tomlin as coach, they're going to have to blow up the team defensive personnel.  The players they have won't fit his defense.  They're almost starting over again.

I see the Chargers as legit contenders for years to come and Rivers really need to pop his playoff cherry; the vast majority green playoff QBs don't fare well their first time playing in January.  They're deadly, though, because L.T. is arguably the best back in the game, Rivers is looking like a Pro Bowl-caliber QB and Antonio Gates is one of the best TEs in the game.  They've got a very balanced set of offensive weapons.

I just don't see the Bengals doing it.  Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are good, but they're just a poor man's Peyton and Harrison.  And the team is an undisciplined disaster.

Contenders likes the Ravens and Chiefs are in decline.  I'll be keeping my eyes on the Jets, though.

As for the NFC - it's a mess.  The Saints have one of the most balanced teams in the NFL, but are a few pieces short on defense.  The Bears need a consistent offense.  The Seahawks just lack the talent and I think both Hasselbeck and Alexander have peaked.  Next year will be a transition year for the conference, but if I was a betting man - I'd see the Saints representing the NFC in next year's Super Bowl.

[ferrarimanf355]

I don't understand the hate for Tom Brady.  He's always been a team player and never a jerk or caused problems in the locker room.  I guess it's cool in sports to hate the team that wins, but how you can hate a team that has Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell as their starting wideouts is beyond me.

It's not Tom Brady. The hate should be directed to Bellichicken. That's what my dad, a NY Jets fan, calls him.

[The Fake Shemp]

... Bellichicken?  Because he wouldn't shake hands with Mangini?

[ferrarimanf355]

... Bellichicken?  Because he wouldn't shake hands with Mangini?

My dad's still pissed a Bellicheck for bolting on the Jets a week or so after taking the head coaching job to become the head coach of the Pats.

[The Fake Shemp]

Yeah, that still makes me

[Diablos]

RIP Brady. He did amazing things this season with little talent to work with. For that he deserves even more respect. Trust me, he'll be back.

Oh quit your crying, NE has 3 SB's under their belt this decade.

As much as I hate the Colts, they HAVE played hard over the past couple years and they definitely deserve a shot at the trophy.

[BlueTsunami]

Patriots! Team of this Decade! Thats all I care bout'

[Diablos]

The Steelers are a fluke, like the Buccaneers' one Super Bowl.  Roethlisberger is a second tier quarterback, they've got no running game and if they get Mike Tomlin as coach, they're going to have to blow up the team defensive personnel.  The players they have won't fit his defense.  They're almost starting over again.

Tomlin knows the team and how they play. And with the defensive goof-ups this year, some new approaches won't hurt.

Also, the Steelers are not a fluke, they're an awesome team that had a pretty bad season. Just because you can't win 2 SB's in a row doesn't make your team a fluke.

[TVC15]

Sports talk is against the TOS

[xnikki118x]

And arguably, this is the best rivalry since the 49ers/Cowboys dynasties.

I'm a 49ers fan and I still hate the Cowboys. Rivalries, the real ones like these, are awesome.

Colts are gonna win the SB. It didn't matter who won the AFC championship because both the Colts and the Patriots would beat the Bears.

[BlueTsunami]

Yeah, my father has been a Cowboy fan since he was like 10. Hes still got clippings of the real oldschool Cowboy players boxed up somewhere I think even I was a Cowboy fan somewhat when I first started to get interested in Football...but then became a Giants fan at some point.

He also hates the 49'ers with a passion

[ferrarimanf355]

Yeah, that still makes me

Oh, that's not the worst of it. I'm a Dolphins fan, so every year, me and my dad go to the Dolphins-Jets game at Dolphins Stadium. It's a garuantee that at some point in the game, the jumbotron will play a clip of Marino's fake spike trick play to piss off the Jets fans. It always gets my dad riled up. 


You know what they say. All's fair in love, war... and football. 

[The Fake Shemp]

Tomlin knows the team and how they play. And with the defensive goof-ups this year, some new approaches won't hurt.

What are you talking about? Do you know absolutely anything about defense?

The Steelers have long employed a 3-4 defense and drafted/signed personnel around that defense.  They're one of the few teams in the league that still do, if the only one that really plays it 24/7.  Tomlin is a Kiffin disciple from the Dungy engineer Bucs and that means the Tampa Bay defensive coaching tree of Cover 2.  That means a 4-3 set for sure.  Tomlin doesn't have the personnel on the Steelers defense to make that system work and almost any scout in the league will tell you this.

They're going to have to re-engineer that defense to accomodate Tomlin's defense.  It won't be quick or easy.  The defense won't be able to save Roethlisberger, who has been exposed as a quarterback.  He's only as good as the parts around him, and it's obvious that the Steelers don't have the talent from the Super Bowl run.  They're years away from competing for another Super Bowl.  In that time, the Colts or the Patriots could eye another Lombardi trophy or two.

Tomlin's entrance marks the end of the Steelers' lone use of 3-4, and my guess is that Steelers brass brought him into to modernize the defense.  But that'll come at a cost.  I'm not saying they won't be competitive, but it's not a Super Bowl squad anymore.  They need more offensive pieces, a complete overhaul on defense to accomodate Tomlin's scheme, as well as time to get adjusted to a new scheme and new coaching personnel.