Superbowl XLIV-The Final Week Leading Up To The Big Game

The long awaited prestigious football event of the season is just a week away, but the real pulse elevating excitement will not begin until we are past the Pro Bowl tomorrow. The Pro Bowl interestingly is being played at the same stadium as the Superbowl, Sun Life Stadium in South Florida. In my opinion and it is just my opinion, the Pro Bowl means more to the players than it does to football fans who patiently wait out the two week interim between the Conference Championships and Superbowl. A mild distraction from all the hype and hoopla that will finally reach a climax at 6:00 pm, Feb. 7th. This is just my take on things and the way it is for me. You may or may not agree.

Plans are no doubt already in place for the big game. Gathering places have been selected, invitations have gone out, party favorites and beverages have been decided upon. The usual pre-game banter and smack has already started with a few high fives thrown in. As the coming final week passes your mind will be massaged and manipulated by all the videos and football talk. You will get into a few friendly disagreements with friends, co-workers, and even family as to who is the best.

Sunday morning finally arrives. The pre-game warmups begin. Everyone who is someone will give their analysis on what to expect from their point of view. A mountain of statistics will be spilled out onto the table, some of which will leave you bewildered and wondering about its relevance, such as Peyton Manning throws more touchdown passes in afternoon games than night games or Dallas Clark catches more passes when he stands on the sidelines as opposed to sitting on the bench. Well, you get the picture. The afternoon will drag on until 6:00 PM finally arrives, more talk.

Already you are somewhat weary of all the talk and now comes the introductions of the teams and players, more talk. The captains of each team stroll out onto the field and the coin toss takes place, more talk. The official shows them the coin and tosses it into the air, more talk. Who will receive the ball first is decided upon and the two teams take their positions, more talk. Finally, the kick and the game is underway. Give me another beer and pass me the potato chips.

I'm not going to throw a bunch of statistics at you because after it is all said and done they are worthless. Just look at the past Minnesota Viking and New Orleans Saints game. The Vikings dominated statistically in everyway possible and it all came down to one tiny split second decision by Brett Favre to throw the ball into the flow of the defense instead of running with it. We call that the human factor. It is what personlizes the game for us and why we love it.

They are advertising this game to be a high scoring shootout and with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees the opposing quarterbacks the potential is certainly in the mix. Hopefully it will be the case because people lose interest in the Superbowl real fast when it isn't. Maybe something will get exposed in the halftime extravaganza to peek people's interest if the first half is a sleeper. That's when the play by play announcers will try some misdirect to keep themselves from yawning. All the pizza is gone. Just give me another beer. What dvd's do you own or do you have any new video games? Who's going to clean up this mess? Superbowl XLIV, will it live up to the expectations?