Pigskin Ponderings
Today, the Philadelphia Eagles battle it out
against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee
Titans face the Oakland Raiders, with the winners
of each game advancing to the Super Bowl. I have to
say, it's been an exciting football season. Perhaps
due to the salary cap keeping the playing field
relatively level, teams that have historically been
somewhat lackluster have shown real talent. Even
the ever-mediocre San Diego Chargers looked good
this season, despite not making it to the
playoffs.
Whatever the result of today's games, the Super
Bowl is bound to be a great match up. Personally,
I'm hoping for a Raiders-Buccaneers fight, since
it'd be great to see Jon Gruden (the Bucs' head
coach) face his old team, the godless Men in Black.
And there would be no end to creative pirate
metaphors....
The Super Bowl machine itself came to life this
weekend here in San Diego. The "NFL Experience"
opened down on the waterfront (pay $15 to play a
variety of "football-related games" and have the
privilege of buying overpriced food and drink, what
a great idea). Next Saturday night ("Super Bowl
Eve," as it were), the harbor will light up with
the biggest fireworks show in San Diego history.
And for only $400, you can play a game of XBox
Madden 2003 against Ricky Williams (of the Miami
Dolphins) at the Ricky Williams' Super Bowl Jam
party at Seau's Restaurant.
The VIPs have already started showing up. I went
to a law school social event at the Marriott Yacht
Club on Friday night (a farewell of sorts, I
guess), and Chris
Berman, the colorful ESPN commentator, had a
gaggle of women surrounding him at the bar. (Isn't
celebrity great? You can be middle-aged, balding
and overweight, and still get the chicks.)
Silly as it may sound (at least to you
non-football fans), I feel a sense of loss every
year at the end of the football season. You get
addicted to that adrenaline rush every Sunday as
you watch your team put it all on the line—and
I was a hardcore junkie this year, as I had high
hopes for my Chargers. After the Super Bowl, it
takes a few weeks to come down off the high and
realize you have to wait six months for your next
fix.
But let's not sound Taps too early—we've
still got three more exciting games! (Sorry, I
don't count the Vacation Bowl.)
UPDATE: Well, I got my wish....
- Tampa Bay 27, Philadelphia 10
Oakland 41, Tennessee 24
Next Sunday, the swashbucklers sail into San
Diego—it's the Oakland Raiders vs. the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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