We tried a little something different this week. Rather than the typical approach of my reviewing the games this weekend and identifying which we will choose (either using some theme I make up as I go or just based purely on the most random match-ups I can find), I have decided to outsource the selection this week.
After my much maligned selections last week, I decided it was time for Turner and Shadow to ‘put up or shut up’. For the next two weeks, they will take turns deciding which games we will pick, based on whatever criteria or theme they so desire.
I admit it was a little hard for me to give up my power. After receiving Shadow’s games this week, I naturally started second guessing him. Once Turner and I cracked the puzzle wrapped in an enigma shrouded in mystery that was Shadow’s “hint”, I immediately started looking at the other games and seeing what other games could have met the criteria or made up alternative criteria. Not very host-like of me, I admit. I invite Shadow to lead the game for a week and yet I can’t give up control long enough to let him lead for once.
After all of the Favre bashing I have done over the years, it turns out I am just like him. I too am unable to give up the control and just be a member of the team. That is frankly a little disconcerting. I always thought of myself as better than that. I have been on many sports teams in the past, and was always just one of the team (probably to the detriment of my athletic career on occasion, but let’s not open that can of mental worms). I have never thought of myself as above the team – who is this I have become?
However, Brett has done ok for himself, so maybe I should just embrace this new disturbing reality and go load up on Wranglers tomorrow.
Turner: Hello readers, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, Joyous Festivas or just a flat out Happy Holiday Season. It is a great season to take time on what we are so thankful for. I’m thankful for (in no particular order except the first one)
- The Shadow (it’s his birthday!!) and Super Dave’s Friendship
- Las Vegas during football season (except the parlays and the Patriots) and March Madness Free Throw Betting
- Introduction to Poker – being able to dominate The Shadow at heads up is so great
- Bill Simmons & Chuck Klosterman (even better together – like Peanut Butter and Jelly)
- Watching Tom Brady miss a wide-open Wes Welker, appearing on Sportcenter (covering my eyes) and watching the Broncos beat the Pats
- Having a Sooner win every college basketball award and live up to their seeding (no football thankfulness included)
- Lakers / Nuggets Western Conference Finals (regardless of the outcome)
- Iowa Hawkeyes BCS Bowl Berth (R.I.P. Sooner and Noles)
- THE MIGHTY SMU MUSTANGS GOING TO A BOWL!!
- This Blog which you will learn over time is historically significant
- Manute Bol
This list will continue to expand but like usual, I’m late submitting so I’ll stop there….. Onto THH, The Shadow had the option of selecting the theme this week. He did a fine job and as usual went with a simple theme but Super Dave and I made it too complex. In the end, it was Non-Super Bowl attendee vs. a Super Bowl winner but during my research, it could have easily been what Mormon who played for these teams did you like more. It was very fascinating that probably 30% of all Mormons that have played in the NFL have played for the 49ers…. I feel much more educated now because of this research. Onto this pick’em….
Shadow: The theme of this week’s THH, as brought to you by The Shadow, is Haves versus Have Nots. Each matchup pits a team that has never even made it to the Super Bowl against a team that has gone and has never lost in the Super Bowl. As a Denver Bronco fan, I can honestly say that I am not sure if it is worse to have never gone, or to have gone and never won, as I had to endure throughout my formative years with the Broncos. I can tell you one thing, though, I truly hated each of the teams that defeated the Broncos in the Super Bowl, and some of that hatred still spills over today. Thankfully, my team was able to capture a couple of big games, so that has tempered it a bit.
NFL
(Actual phrasing of Shadow’s message: I will give you one hint: it has nothing to do with individual players or coaches)
Detroit @ San Francisco
SD: This is the game that started all of the problems. You see, after getting Shadow’s email, I was in the car driving so I had some time to sit and think about the match-ups he selected. The main problem with this game is that there are too many connections between these two teams. Both teams were coached by Steve Mariucci. Matt Millen played for the Niners before destroying the Lions. Detroit was the site of the Niners first Super Bowl victory. San Francisco is one of the coolest cities in America. Detroit is not. However, as you will see none of these apply to the second game. Well as it turns out, one thing does apply. The Lions are one of five teams that have not even appeared in a Super Bowl (quick, name them all – you have until the end of today’s post, which should be about the same time it took me) and as we all know the Niners have appeared in and won 5 Super Bowls (another fun game, how many teams have won every one of their appearances in the Super Bowl. Let me see if I can come up with the list for that as well). So, that is our quandary today – do we cheer for a champion or take pity on the less unfortunate among us? I recognize that it is the holiday season and we should look out for our fellow man and all of that, so I guess the answer is obvious. You could even say that the Lions are the NFL equivalent of poor Tiny Time Cratchit. However, while it may be the holidays we are still Americans. And Americans love winners. Mostly so we can tear them down later, but we still love winners. So, you know what? Tiny Tim can suck it. God bless us, everyone? More like God blesses the winners. Go Niners.
Turner: Couldn’t be easier. Given geography (why we have THH to begin with), the fact that I really have no reason to ever want another championship of any kind in Detroit, and the Niners are the GREATEST team ever, it has to be the fighting Alex Smiths. The resurgence is back, the dynasty is being formed and hello Super Bowl in 3 years (as soon as we break in a new QB). As SuperDave’s favorite shirt logo from this year, Who needs a V.D. when we have crabs (or other way around… )
Shadow: Even if it wasn’t for the pounding they put on my beloved Broncos in the Super Bowl, I was already insanely jealous over their success in the 80’s and had a couple of truly obnoxious bandwagon friends at school who not surprisingly would later become Cowboy fans in the 90’s…and I am sure if I kept in touch with them I would find they are currently Patriots fans. I always felt bad for Barry Sanders being saddled with the Lions. He deserved much better. I am going to pull for Detroit in this one.
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
SD: Another match-up of a Super Bowl winner and one of the Dreadful Five that have never made it to the Big Game. While the Saints have never made it to a Super Bowl, they have appeared in the THH quite regularly and I have to admit that this may be the first time their THH performance has resulted in my cheering against them. As much as I love everything about the Saints, they have no chance of competing with a Bucs team that won a Super Bowl while I cheered them on from a bar in downtown Washington D.C. where I may or may not have been sitting near Malcolm Jamal Warner. Sorry, Saints you can’t compete with Theo Huxtable. Though, I guess there is always a chance that I could someday cheer on a Saints Super Bowl appearance with Tempestt Bledsoe or Keshia Knight Pulliam. But until then, go Bucs.
Turner: Geaux Saints. They need to win. The city needs a win. The falling down Super Dome with those awful colored splotched seats needs more revenue for renovation, Sean Payton & Drew Brees are greatness. Tampa should have never won one and don’t deserve another one ever. They aren’t even trying to field a competitive team. On the social scene, New Orleans has Bourbon street where you can see the real thing at every turn while in Tampa you get the original home of Hooters in nearby Clearwater where they just tease you. I don’t like being teased, it reminds me too much of 5th grade where the kids picked me to always not be on their team and in 8th grade where Elizabeth told me she ‘liked’ me. It was a tease and I will never recover.
Shadow: I actually loved it when the Bucs pummeled the Raiders. The only thing worse than having to watch Rich Gannon carve up a Broncos defense is having to now listen to him commentate. New Orleans has obviously had a long and storied tradition of suckitude, and I think the loss to the Cowboys is just what that team may have needed to harden them for a deep playoff run this year. Let’s face it, New Orleans is easily the team “never to have gone to a Super Bowl” that is the closest to actually being able to remove that distinction. And I really can’t hate them for it. Let the Saints come Marching In!
Quiz answers:
No Super Bowl appearances: Detroit, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Houston.
Won every Super Bowl appearance (doing this from memory): San Francisco, Tampa Bay, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens
