NFL 100: A Spotlight
The National Football League has been a pretty big part in my life. I've seen every Super Bowl from Super Bowl XXX onward. The game was fast, fun to watch, and in general better defense with lesser rules. The tradition of watching football on Sundays really has been around for over 20 years and quite frankly I don't see it ending anytime soon.
The first game that really got me hooked for good was Super Bowl XXXII on January 25th, 1998. The storylines for the game were endless. Brett Favre looked to get his 2nd ring. John Elway was a Super Bowl participant in three Super Bowls and had lost all three. The NFC had dominated its brother conference since the San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, nearly 13 years of NFC dominance in the Super Bowl.
It was also the last time that I would hear the great voices of Dick Enberg, Phil Simms and Paul Maguire in the same booth. The 1997 season was NBC's last season with the AFC package that the network carried since the merger of 1970 and AFL games since 1965. CBS would takeover the AFC package in the 1998 season. It would be the last time hearing that amazing Randy Edelman score during an NFL broadcast on NBC.
The pregame dope featured an intriguing spread. The Packers were favored to beat the Broncos by 11 1/2 points despite the fact that both teams had similar records. The Packers were defending champions and the Broncos were blown out in every Super Bowl that John Elway was under center for them. I suppose you can't blame Vegas for that.
The strange thing was that I picked the Broncos to win. Not necessarily because of the fact that I hated the Packers, it was that I liked the Broncos uniforms (you have to remember that I was 9 years old at the time) I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I eventually asked my parents to get me a John Elway jersey of the same uniform. It was certainly one of the coolest uniforms next to the "Pewter Power" uniform that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wore for the longest time after 1997.
Brett Favre was amazing in the game, throwing the ball for 256 yards for three touchdowns while throwing an interception. Dorsey Levens ran the the ball for 90 yards. John Elway would have a fairly average performance in the game, throwing for 123 yards with an interception. The Broncos running game, which had been absent in the three previous times Denver made it, would step up huge for them. Terrell Davis ran for 157 yards for three rushing touchdowns. John Elway would rush for 17 yards with a touchdown.
One of the coolest plays I've ever seen in a Super Bowl was the run that John Elway took. He told fullback Howard Griffith to block for him while he reached for a first down. He would dive head first and make contact with another player, causing him to helicopter around. Truly he and the Broncos wanted it more than the Packers.
Ultimately, the Packers three turnovers costed them as Denver took as much time off the clock as much as possible and converted those turnovers into scores. Both offensive lines played well as only the Broncos would sack Brett Favre one time, while John Elway wouldn't get sacked at all.
The Packers would return to the playoffs but would lose in the Wild Card round against the 49ers in a game known as "The Catch II." They wouldn't sniff another chance at a Super Bowl with Brett Favre. The closest that they would get to would be during the 2007 NFC championship game where Brett Favre threw an interception that ultimately gave the New York Giants a chance to win. It would be Favre's last pass as a Packer.
John Elway and the Broncos could finally get the monkey off their back and win their first championship in franchise history. They would repeat as champions again in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons. It would be John Elway's last game as he finally rode off into the sunset as finally a champion.
Super Bowl XXXII would be the game that got me hooked to the NFL and kept me hooked since. I watched the previous one and I thought the game in general was a blowout. Granted the weather that year in 1997 was dreadful where I lived. We had one of those "One In A Century Floods." I still look fondly back and enjoy that game very much.
Conference Championship Picks
Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV:
The Titans beat the Ravens and the Chiefs beat the Texans in the Divisional playoff last week. The game really depends on how well the Chiefs can stop/slow Derrick Henry. One advantage that the Titans have is at running back. If they can do that and force Ryan Tannehill to beat you, then I like the Chiefs defense in the match-up. I like the Chiefs at quarterback obviously as Patrick Mahomes has a good chance to get to a Super Bowl. Should be a fun game.
Green Bay Packers (13-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV:
The Packers beat the Seahawks and the 49ers beat the Vikings in the Divisional playoff last week. It has been a fun ride for the Packers as most fans wouldn't have ever expected this team to get far, let alone a playoff team. Green Bay has a chance to win if they can control the clock and keep the 49ers defense on the field. They once again will need to have a great game from Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davantae Adams, and the rest of the receiving corp. The Packers defense couldn't keep the 49ers running game out of its element in the previous meeting. Let's just say that Green Bay has its hands full in this one and they are one deep threat away from really being on the 49ers level. I hope I'm wrong but if this game is anything like the previous meeting, this thing will be over by halftime.
See you guys on Monday for the Conference Championship Game Recap!
-Tom
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