04/19/24
February 07, 2005
V Can Count From I To XXXIX: Game reports from four of the five print journalists who have covered all 39 Super Bowls: Jerry Green, Jerry Izenberg, Bob Oates, and Edwin Pope. The Jacksonville paper devoted a front page last week to all five, interviewing each about their unique club, which lost Will McDonough and John Steadman in recent years: Green, Izenberg, Dave Klein, Oates, and Pope. The most striking comment on XXXIX comes from Oates: "This was a game in which a member of the losing team, wide receiver Terrell Owens, earned the most-valuable-player trophy even though he didn't get it."
I was with Oates regarding T.O. until I read your comment, Weedy. Good points all. T.O. and McNabb reinforce that, in the parity era, great players do not necessarily equal winning teams. That being said, what great players!
posted by Joey Michaels at 03:00 PM on February 07, 2005
The NFL Network aired an NFL Films piece on them this week. A fun group to talk to, if not to party with anymore. I think the game goes past their bedtime nowadays.
posted by yerfatma at 03:28 PM on February 07, 2005
I met Ed Pope in... hrm, 1997, I guess. Even then he was already pretty damn old. I remember him writing great stuff on the dolphins when I was younger, but it is obvious he isn't passionate about the stuff anymore- his heart and mind have moved on, or maybe just mellowed to the point where he can't or doesn't want to write interesting, insightful pieces. That said, he was a total gentleman and was a great writer when I was younger, and is still way better than LeBatard and the other morons who write for the Herald these days.
posted by tieguy at 03:30 PM on February 07, 2005
great game and t.o will come back poor freddie he looked like a clown now the eagles might be back not a big pats fan but they show wat teamwork is all about the pats i wont say much on them b/c they re coordinators coaching staff r leaving
posted by dhdefrag3x at 05:03 PM on February 07, 2005
I vote we ban anyone who uses 'r' for 'are' or 'our'. All with me, say 'aye'...
posted by tieguy at 07:19 PM on February 07, 2005
i
posted by yerfatma at 07:20 PM on February 07, 2005
wat r u talkin abt tigi
posted by chicobangs at 01:20 AM on February 08, 2005
Okay watching the game amongst McNabb haters yesterday i was forced to confront the question; Is McNabb really good or does he just have amazing receivers ? There were some catches made yesterday that really shouldnt have been made ( including the last touchdoen that cost me the pot at 4-4 ) He throws wildly and inaccurately but the receivers make him look good. Please discuss :-)
posted by stuartmm at 01:44 AM on February 08, 2005
McNabb is really good. He did not have the best game. He definitely does not have any amazing receivers other than T.O.
posted by yerfatma at 06:14 AM on February 08, 2005
Although I have to admit that I did not believe that T.O. would be as good as he was (I am now ready to admit that unlike his teammate Freddie Mitchell, who has been strangely quiet of late, T.O. is the real deal), I believe that Greg Lewis is, when it comes to ability, as good as T.O. He does not have the ability to motivate the team in the same manner, but that man can make some amazing grabs. No wonder Belichick was more concerned with Lewis hurting them than T.O. He did.
posted by adacsm at 06:48 AM on February 08, 2005
For all of the talk of how Mitchell disappeared, was he even in the game with Owens on the field? My impression of the situation is that Mitchell got a chance when Owens went out, made the most of that chance, prematurely declared his own greatness, and then wasn't on the field much because Owens came back.
posted by rcade at 07:57 AM on February 08, 2005
McNabb is good. 30+ TDs and only 8 interceptions all year? That's not all the fault of his receivers. Sure, he looked like an idiot for a lot of that game, but that's what the Patriots do. Witness Manning and Rothlisberger. The Patriots know how to make quarterbacks look bad.
posted by fabulon7 at 08:06 AM on February 08, 2005
Well, I'm absolutely with Oates on that one. T.O. may talk a lot, but that was as impressive a performance as I've seen in any sport this year. However, I would quibble a bit on him being the MVP - if you're going to get it on the losing side, you have to at least score a touchdown. Seems arbitrary and unfair, but Branch won the game, caught more passes for more yards with a QB who threw less. So it is deserved (though were I voting, it was Brady all the way). However - T.O. will get the respect and historic legacy from anyone who watched the game. Equally deserved.