Nate’s note: Yeah, we’re a day late with the Super Bowl pick. What do you want? Occasionally, even Rebello and I have lives. Now, the following was finished by 2:30 on Sunday. So just imagine yourself reading on delay. Anyway, this’ll be the last game I pick for a long time. Hopefully, Rebello will grace The Nate Way come the MLB playoffs.
From Nathan DeGraaf
Justin, my man. How was your week off of football? Mine was pretty enjoyable, though I must say that I hate the whole “week off before the Super Bowl” gimmick for the following reasons:
It takes away from the number one seed’s advantage. I mean, does the wear and tear of that extra game really hurt anyone if they get a week off? It takes me out of my football groove (for example: I’ll bet you thought I wasn’t doing this, this week). It reminds me of how boring the upcoming sports lull will be (time to get interested in hockey again). But anyway, enough negativity. It’s time to focus on the positive. And the positive is that I’m up $165 for the year. I’m betting fifty on the Steelers, fifty on the over/under (I have the under), fifty on the coin toss and $10 on the number of times I’ll hear the word “gamer.” This should be fun; it always is.
Anyway, let’s ask you some questions:
Do you, like the rest of the world, love the fact that Jerome Bettis is getting a chance to win a super bowl in his hometown? Now, you may be unaware of this. Of course, you may also be a figment of my imagination.
What do you think the Manning family is doing for the Super Bowl?
What is your favorite gimmick about this hype-filled week?
How much would you pay for a Patriots jersey autographed by Tom Brady and (get this) Drew Bledsoe? I know someone who has one, and he may part with it for a thousand bucks or so.
Let me know.
Oh, and happy Super Bowl.
From Justin Rebello
Sorry, this took so long to finish but, you know, beer.
First your questions:
1. About the Bettis thing, I was reading in Simmons this week that the only thing more overplayed than the Bettis hometown thing is people bitching about how overplayed the Bettis hometown thing is. And I agree, I can't even count how many columnists made that joke over the past week. Even that “Aristocrats” movie had more comic range.
2. I don't know what the Manning family is doing for the Super Bowl, I just hope they're not eating. I think just watching the Super Bowl would cause them to choke on a cup of water.
3. My favorite gimmick is the made-up arguments between players. Honestly, who the deuce is Jerramy Stevens (Is that even how you spell ‘Jeremy'?) Is this guy really the biggest shit talker on Seattle? Shouldn’t every team have one certified maniac to stir the shit up during Super Bowl week? I think so, and I’ll go so far as to say you can base your pick on who has the more dangerous maniac. For example, last year the Patriots had Rodney Harrison. The Eagles had Freddie Mitchell. Who would you take in a barroom brawl? Now this year you've got some TE nobody's ever heard of versus a linebacker who's just three years removed from being SHOT. SHOT. That tells you all you need to know about this game. So, without further ado, my pick:
A couple of factors here. I strongly believe Brady-Roethlisberger will become the new Bird-Magic, two players at the top of their game, who apparently respect one another (there's a great shot in the Patriots DVD from last year with Big Ben telling Brady after the AFC title something along the lines of “You guys were just better”). I can just see those two trading titles back and forth for a decade. And Manning can be Bill Laimbeer.
There's nobody on either team that I have a patent dislike for. Shaun Alexander is overrated. Hasselbeck's kind of an idiot, but the better he does, the more shots of his sister-in-law so I can accept that.
I guess that leaves the fans, and I think I'm rooting for Pitt. First of all, doesn't this whole Seattle 12th man reek of bandwagon jumping? Isn't Seattle the most non-descript franchise ever? Now I'm supposed to believe they have this incredible fan base, call it Seahawk Nation. Actually, don't.
So that leaves my pick: I think the Steelers get out to a fast start (say, 13-0), then Seattle makes it interesting in the second half (13-7), a field goal (13-10), another Pitt TD (20 10), a Pitt field goal (23-10), another Pitt Field goal (26-10), a Seattle TD in the fourth (26-17), a Seattle FG (26-20) and another Pitt FG (29-20). And that's your final. Big Ben wins the MVP.