2008 Woodie Awards
Clash of the titans
Andrew Mashas
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: sports
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I think there's some kind of cosmic sports rule where whenever analysts talk about a big game and how it's going to be an offensive slugfest, it never pans out the way they predict. The most recent time (before Super Bowl XXXXI ½) would be the NLDS between Colorado and Philadelphia. Every expert said there was going to slugfests every night and that balls would be flying out of Citizens Bank Park and Coors Field. But that didn't happen. The same thing happened this past weekend. Every analyst said the Colts and Patriots extravaganza was going to be a colossal battle of our generation's greatest quarterbacks. Sure, it was a good game, not a great game. I really tried to thwart away any grand expectations for Super Bowl XXXXI ½ but it was impossible. However, I can remember watching NFL live on ESPN and Mark Schlereth said there was no doubt in his mind that the combined score would reach 60 points. And of course as a fan I bought into the hype.
Now remains the question: which team will knock the Patriots off their high horse? Well my pick is still (and was before the season began) is Pittsburgh. I honestly did not think the Colts were going to do it, however, I think Pittsburgh has the ability to cause the upset. We saw what a decent defense could do to the Patriots; now we must see what a great defense can do.
As I sat and watched the highlights of the big games this past weekend I couldn't decide what was more shocking: the fact that Adrian Peterson broke the single-game rushing record or the fact that he was passed by six different teams in the draft. I remember the stellar freshman season he had at Oklahoma and all the publicity that came with it. Even though he had several injuries during his last two years in college (of course the pinnacle of injury being breaking his collar bone in that Iowa State game) he was still a big name coming out of the draft. However, I think it was good for Peterson to have Calvin Johnson, Brady Quinn, and Jamarcus Russell take all the hype in the draft last April. He slipped under the radar and went quietly to Minnesota and now he seems to be a beast among men.
Now remains the question: which team will knock the Patriots off their high horse? Well my pick is still (and was before the season began) is Pittsburgh. I honestly did not think the Colts were going to do it, however, I think Pittsburgh has the ability to cause the upset. We saw what a decent defense could do to the Patriots; now we must see what a great defense can do.
As I sat and watched the highlights of the big games this past weekend I couldn't decide what was more shocking: the fact that Adrian Peterson broke the single-game rushing record or the fact that he was passed by six different teams in the draft. I remember the stellar freshman season he had at Oklahoma and all the publicity that came with it. Even though he had several injuries during his last two years in college (of course the pinnacle of injury being breaking his collar bone in that Iowa State game) he was still a big name coming out of the draft. However, I think it was good for Peterson to have Calvin Johnson, Brady Quinn, and Jamarcus Russell take all the hype in the draft last April. He slipped under the radar and went quietly to Minnesota and now he seems to be a beast among men.