Super Predictions
The 42nd edition of the Big Game is Sunday, and I'm going to state right now that this game is a win-win for me. My reasoning is simple. If the Patriots win, they'll shut up the New York Giants -- a team I despise. They'll also shut up the '72 Dolphins -- a team that I'm sick of. If the Giants win, they'll shut up Belichick, Brady, and the Patriots - yet another team I hate along with their entire fanbase. So it should be great, unless the game is a sloppy shitfest (like last year, sadly). Anyways, time for some predictions.
First, I'm going to talk about the halftime show. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I'm a big fan of Petty, so I'm looking forward to his show. Yes, he does look like an old fossil with a haircut that's at least 30 years out of date, but that won't stop him from rocking the free world at the pink taco this Sunday. I predict he'll play 3, maybe 4 if-slightly-truncated songs. First of all, the no brainer. "Free Falling". It's probably his biggest hit, and it typically induces quite the sing-a-long from the crowd. From here it gets a little tricky, because he has a lot of hits to choose from. It's not a bad bet that he'll play a song off the new album, and he'll definitely play one song that rocks out. For the new album, I'd go with "Saving Grace." For the "rocker," I'll go with either "Running Down a Dream" or "You Wreck Me". "Running Down a Dream" might tie into the concept of the "Super Bowl, super dreams" for the players, which using that logic would also make "I Won't Back Down" a possible choice as well. If he wants to go a little deeper in his catalog, it wouldn't be a shock to hear "American Girl" or "I Need to Know." Finally, as a wild card, throw in a cover. Every tour, he manages to cover at least one or two tracks. Mostly old 60's stuff like "Gloria" or "Baby, Please Don't Go." Official prediction? "You Wreck Me," "Free Falling," a cover, and "American Girl". You heard it here first.
As for the game itself....
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LOOK FOR... Tom Brady to have a good but not great game. Three TDs, two picks. I think the hoof is going to affect him.
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DON'T LOOK FOR... Eli Manning to play horribly. He quite possibly will outplay Brady.
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LOOK FOR... Randy Moss to score a touchdown, but he'll have less than 60 yards receiving.
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DON'T LOOK FOR... Plaxico Burress to do anything significant. He'll re-injure his ankle on the first series.
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LOOK FOR ...Jabar Gaffney to win MVP. It's the precise type of oddball choice that nobody will see coming. His two TDs will seal the deal.
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DON'T LOOK FOR...Tiki Barber on the Giants sideline. He's not exactly welcome in these parts.
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LOOK FOR ...about seven thousand '72 Dolphins references. They will be everywhere, and they will be constant. Shoot me now.
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DON'T LOOK FOR...anything interesting to happen in the fourth quarter. The Pats last two games both evolved into snoozefests after the 45 minute mark.
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LOOK FOR...A Tony Eason reference. Worst QB in the Super Bowl, ever. A symbol of the Patriots first forty years.
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DON'T LOOK FOR...A Rex Grossman reference. Unless a QB happens to turn it over 5 times. Then a Rex reference is a lock.
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LOOK FOR...Peyton Manning in a skybox.
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DON'T LOOK FOR ....a priceless pep talk from Peyton. He'll decline all interviews until after the game. Then he'll be in the lockerroom hugging Eli. That is, if the Giants win and all.
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LOOK FOR...The Giants to blitz the crap out of Brady.
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DON'T LOOK FOR....Brady on his back much. The Pats line will take care of him.
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LOOK FOR...The Patriots to cruise to a comfortable win. They won't cover, but they'll win by 11.
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DON'T LOOK FOR...Larry Csonka, ever again. We don't need him anymore.
And that's about it. Patriots 31, Giants 20. Have a good one.