Super Bowl 2014!

Nate’s 9: Reasons I’ll enjoy the Super Bowl

                I’m amused that everyone is in an uproar over the comments and actions that Richard Sherman made after the Seahawks in win the NFC Championship game.  For one, he is a very good cornerback if not the best in the league.  It is close to a true statement, if not the full on truth (although dogging Michael Crabtree was inappropriate).  Second, Seattle fans abuse of Navarro Bowman and Wes Welker’s take out play of New England’s Aqib Talib were more concerning to me than a boast from one player to another no matter how brash.  We talk about how clichéd most responses are during interviews after the game, yet we cringe and get mad when we finally get a genuine response from a player.  That being said, this is a Super Bowl that will provide great matchups, and really shows two completely different ways on how to win in today’s NFL.

#9. Bruno Mars halftime show - Well, naturally.  I am obsessed with the music and the man. 

#8. Champ Bailey’s last hurrah – Speaking of great cornerbacks, we are about to see the twilight of one of the greatest cornerbacks this game has ever seen.  For years, defenses would avoid throwing in Bailey’s direction, and even now teams have a hard time completing big gains in his vicinity.  He wasn’t nearly as loud as the Darrelle Revis’s and Richard Sherman’s of the world, but maybe that’s the reason to like him even more.

#7. Marshawn popping the skittles on the biggest stage – It’s funny when we go back to 2007’s NFL draft.  Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch were both taken 5 picks apart, and one could claim that they are the two best backs in the NFL today.  People can’t be mad about this; Buffalo offered Lynch to every single team for a  4^th round pick once they had drafted C.J. Spiller, but I can’t help but think that he could be the main reason if Seattle is to lift the Lombardi trophy in 2 weeks’ time. How many does Buffalo have?

#6. Russell Wilson – He’s just a winner.  I don’t think he does anything particularly well – his arm is okay and he’s decent when on the run, but he is fearless in the back field and has this incredible self-belief not seen in many people across any field.  Jon Gruden knew he was special minutes after meeting him, I am in full agreement.   The Super Bowl will be more entertaining with Wilson being a part of February 2nd's game and I wouldn’t bet against this kid taking the trophy back to the west coast with him.

#5. Pete Carroll vs John Fox – I feel like this is a battle of coaching styles: the motivator vs the preparer.  Pete Carroll will have his players emotionally ready to play in this game, and I don’t think there will be much for jitters or apprehension. They will come out amped and ready to play.  John Fox will have gone over every single play that Seattle has run all season, and Peyton & Co will be prepared mentally for the situation.  I’m excited to see which style takes precedent early and sets the tone for a Super Bowl that I think is very hard to predict, certainly much more than last year’s game.  

#4. What the NFL will do if the game is a blowout – I’m not much for conspiracy theories, but going back to last year’s game, how in the world was the NFL not prepared for the situation of a black out during the season’s biggest game?  For an industry that certainly appears to be the perfectly run engine, it seemed scandalous and at the best unlucky for something like that to happen.  I can’t recall a similar scenario.  I’m curious to know if they have prepared some kind of wind storm or blizzard in case of an early 3 touchdown lead for Denver or Seattle on Super Bowl Sunday.

#3. Richard Sherman vs Demaryius Thomas – Oh yes!  If not Calvin Johnson, I definitely think Thomas is one of the few people in the league that won’t be phased by the skill set of Sherman.  With that being said, Sherman is one of the few corners in the league that has been avoided by quarterbacks entirely during the season.  If this remains the case, Eric Decker and Wes Welker are going to have to step up, but I think a big game from Thomas would almost clinch the championship for the Broncos.

#2. The Commercials – These are always fun, and with the prediction that the cost of 30 seconds will cost 4 million dollars this year (www.businessweek.com/articles) they better be.  Over the past couple of years, people tend to be as excited about these as they are about the game.  Good luck getting a slot, GoDaddy.com!

#1. Cold weather Super Bowl! – It’s about time!  I hope the elements are a factor, only because they reflect the true experiences of most NFL games during the late season and playoffs.  Regardless of the weather conditions for the day, enjoy the game!