Why I Am Rooting for the Patriots in the Super Bowl Tomorrow

Yeah, yeah, I know it can be viewed as treasonous and a mortal sin to root for the Patriots, but I am going to be doing so tomorrow as they take on the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.  Here's why:

1. Three weeks ago in Las Vegas I place a $15 bet on the Pats to win the Super Bowl and three and a half to one.  So there's that.
2. History has it's eyes on them.  What the Pats have done over the last eighteen season has been undeniably historic.  Nine Super Bowls in eighteen seasons.  We'll never see this again, certainly not in my lifetime, so I will always, in most instances, root for historical greatness.
3. Tom Brady.  Yes, he can be smug and annoying, and yes, the officials always seem to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he is also the greatest quarterback who ever played the game.  After tomorrow, he will have played in NINE SUPER BOWLS.  No other player - ever - has appeared in more than six.  This is historical greatness that must be appreciated and burnished.
4. If New England should lose tomorrow, Brady's record in the games will fall to 5-4 and there will be people who will say something like, "well, he's barely over .500 in those games, so he's no big deal."  A Brady/Pats win will cut off such patently ridiculous statements at the pass.
5. Bill Belichick.  As Brady is to quarterbacks, Belichick is to coaches.  He's the best there is and ever was.  Yes, he's crusty, arrogant, a poor loser, and a public relations man's nightmare, but there is something about him that appeals to me (and yes, I have gotten as PO'd over and at him over the years as many of you have).  I like his single-mindedness, and his penchant for sending a metaphorical middle finger at authority, especially the Suits in the NFL offices on Park Avenue.  For example, earlier in the season, Coach Bill appeared on the sidelines in his rumpled Patriots blue hoodie when every other coach, assistant coach (including the Pats' staff), and player was wearing those mandated military-style olive drab hoodies.  And if you tell me that you DIDN'T love seeing Bill hurl that Microsoft Tablet to the ground during the Chiefs game last week, I just don't believe you.  I mean, who among us HASN'T wanted to do something exactly like that at one time or another.
6. And how about that story that Bill Cowher told this week of Belichick's offer to help him, Cowher, and the Steelers out in preparing for the Broncos in the 2005 AFC Championship game, after Belichick's Pats had lost to Denver in the previous round of the Playoffs.  You gotta love him for that, right?
7. My cousin Janice Spencer lives in Maine and is a big Patriots fan, and she was a really good sport when the Steelers beat the Patriots in December, posing with a Terrible Towel on Facebook, so I am rooting for the Pats for her sake, too.
8. I don't really care that a sixth Super Bowl win will tie the Patriots with the Steelers for most Lombardi Trophies. Neither my civic nor sports fandom self-worth will be diminished by such a fact.  Also, nothing that the Patriots do, or any other team, for that matter, lessens the accomplishments of the Steelers over the years.  Let's all get a grip here.

Of course, the main thing I am hoping for is an entertaining and competitive game.  And if the Rams should win, that's okay by me, too, my fifteen buck wager aside, for a couple of reasons.  One, I would be happy for Pitt's Aaron Donald to get a Super Bowl ring, and two, I'd never feel bad to see Bob Kraft and his stuffed blue-shirt-with-a-white-collar come up on the short end, and if that conflicts with my History Has It's Eyes On You themes spelled out above, well, being a sports fan doesn't always have to be accompanied by perfect logic.

Enjoy the game tomorrow, everyone!

Fly Eagles Fly!!!!!

You may wonder why it has taken five days for The Grandstander to give his thoughts, comments, and opinions on last Sunday's Super Bowl victory for the Philadelphia Eagles.  It seems that along about late Sunday night/early Monday morning, a little bit of "real life" drama kicked in for Yours Truly.  Nothing major, as it turned out, and I will invoke HIPAA privilege and spare you all the details, but rest assured that all is well and I shall be cranking out Grandstander posts well into the future.

Now, as to those thoughts, comments, and opinions....

• Great game.  All those people who so high-mindedly decided to not watch missed one entertaining and terrific football game.
• Was glad to see the Eagles win, even though I DIDN'T have that. I finished 6-5 in post-season predictions, 7-5 if you count the Alabama win in the CFP.
• How about the onions on Doug Pederson  on that fourth and goal gadget play call that resulted in a touchdown pass TO quarterback Nick Foles?  Of course, coaches are only geniuses when such plays actually work.
• My absolutely, positively favorite moment of the entire game came immediately after the critical strip-sack-fumble by Tom Brady late in the game and deep in New England territory that, effectively, sealed the deal for the Eagles.  The TV cameras, as they appear to be obligated to do, switched immediately to the NE owner's box to catch the expression on Bob Kraft's face.  It looked like he had just defecated a large cinder block.  It was priceless, and I am only sorry that I was unable to capture a picture of the TV screen at the time so as to preserve the moment forever. I know that everyone is supposed to dislike Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, but the New England Patriot who chaps my ass the most is Robert Kraft.
• The Halftime Show.  In the immediate aftermath of Justin Timberlake's performance, I said "Four Stars".  Upon further reflection, I'm going to downgrade that to Three Stars.  I like Timberlake, and he is an undoubtedly talented performer.  I loved the dancing and the choreography, but like most of these halftime shows, it is just TOO MUCH production, too many bells and whistles.  I would be lying if I told you that I could understand the words of any of the songs Timberlake was singing.  Too loud, too noisy.  Is that what it's all about?  And what does the NFL do next year to top this one? More noise, more fireworks, a couple of thousand more dancers on the field around the stage?  Where does it all end?

• The Commercials.  Again, like the halftime shows, I feel like the day of the Mega-memorable Commercial may be past.  I really think that these people are trying too hard.  If the trend continues, I will soon be using these commercials for what God intended: breaks to go get something to eat and to use the bathroom.
• That said, the Eli Manning - Odell Beckham, Jr celebration commercial was not just a home run, it was a BobbyThomson-BillMazeroski-JoeCarter Home Run rolled into one.  Just brilliant!  And did you notice who the sponsor of that ad was?  It was the National Football League itself that gave its full imprimatur on end zone touchdown celebrations with that commercial.  So all you cranky old guys who deplore such celebrations, brace yourself, because they are only going to become bigger, better and more wide spread come 2019.
• One more comment on Commercials.  I counted at least five Tide detergent commercials.  Really, detergent commercials on the Super Bowl.  What is up with that?
• I will close out this commentary with two contrasting pictures of the opposing quarterbacks.

Pitchers and catchers report next week.

Yes, I Will Be Watching The Super Bowl On Sunday

Along about the time that either the Steelers defense gagged it up against Jacksonville, or perhaps it was when Danny Amendola caught that TD pass from Tom Brady that secured yet another Patriots trip to the Super Bowl (and against Philadelphia, no less), anguished wailing was heard throughout Western Pennsylvania to the effect, "well, there is no way that I'm going to watch the Super Bowl now."

Well, I for one am going to be watching the Super Bowl, and here are some reasons why.

• For all of the problems it faces, player safety being chief among them, I still like to watch football when played at its highest levels.
• By record, the two best teams in their respective conferences are the opponents in this year's game.  In theory, at least, this should produce a competitive and compelling game.  We know that it doesn't always necessarily work out that way, but that's why you follow sports, isn't it?
• Love them or hate them, the New England Patriots are the preeminent football team of this generation.  They have the best coach and best quarterback in the history of the League, so, if you claim to be a football fan, why wouldn't you want to watch them play, even if you just want to see if someone else can beat them (besides Eli Manning and the Giants, that is).
• Justin Timberlake is sure to put on a terrific halftime show.
• How can you not like the Eagles, who lost Carson Wentz, their MVP candidate quarterback to injury late in the season, and have managed to make it this far with back-up QB Nick Foles?  I hate to make the obvious and over done Philadelphia-Rocky Balboa comparison, but, hey, it's low hanging fruit.
• The commercials.  Even if the game turns out to be a dud, everybody will still be talking about the commercials, and you don't want to be left out of the conversations in the week ahead, do you?
• Tom Brady is playing.  My grandfather saw Honus Wagner play baseball. My dad once saw Babe Ruth play baseball.  I saw Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax play baseball and Jim Brown and Joe Greene play football.  Someday you will want to be able to tell your kids and grand kids that you saw Tom Brady play football.
• It will be your last chance to see any meaningful football played until September.

So there you have it.  I'll be in front of the tube come Sunday at 6:30.  

Oh, and a prediction.  I went 2-0 in the Conference championship games, boosting my playoffs record to 6-4, so a winning record is assured.  Who am I picking?  How can you even doubt - the Patriots.  How can you pick against them?  They will pick up their sixth Lombardi Trophy, which will tie them with the Steelers in that department, and which will lead to mass numbers of Yinzers hurling themselves into the freezing waters of the Allegheny River come Sunday evening.

Oh, and, as always, watch, but don't bet.  

I also predict that 99% of those people who angrily and emphatically said that they will not watch the Super Bowl will end up watching it anyway.

Enjoy the game.

Steelers Prediction - See You In Minneapolis!

Hey, how about that picture above for an "old school" Steelers logo.  That's so old that even I don't remember it, but it's appropriate because it is time for that annual Grandstander Tradition, the How-Are-The-Steelers-Going-To-Do-This-Season post.  

One thing is clear - the Steelers themselves must think that this season simply has to be the year that they make a full, all out effort to reach and win the Super Bowl.  The fact that GM Kevin Colbert wheeled and dealed so vigorously in the final two weeks of training camp, bringing in a new veteran tight end and two veteran defensive backs tells you that that are leaving no stone unturned in making an all out effort to win it all this year.   If you don't believe me, check out this photo of Colbert as he worked the phones during those final two weeks of camp:

"We're going for broke!"

One has to wonder if Ben Roethlisberger went to the powers that be and told them that 2017 was going to be his final season, and the team realized that they simply had to do everything possible to win it all this year.  Even if he didn't, Ben is 35 years old and about to begin his 14th season in the NFL.  The clock is ticking on him and, by extension, on the Steelers' window to make a serious run at that seventh Lombardi Trophy.  They really can't afford to hold anything back at this point.

So how will they do?  Not going to go into in depth analysis here, but I like their chances.  I'm calling for 11, and possibly, 12 wins, an NFC North title, and a first round bye in the playoffs.  I say they win the AFC championship and reach the Super Bowl, and if I pick them to go that far, then I just might as well pick them to win it all.  And I say that they will do it by avenging that Super Bowl XLV loss by beating the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis come February 4, 2018.

You heard it here first, but, as always, watch, but don't bet!