The team I love (the Vikings) and the team I like (the Colts) got eliminated in the playoffs, and the teams I'd love to root against (the Packers, the Patriots, and the Jets) never made the playoffs. Now what?
I'll root for the Philadelphia Eagles. I've always liked Donovan McNabb, and he's faced a lot of criticism for an elite quarterback. I'd like to see him get the crowning validation to say "Screw you world: I'm awesome." Though I spent last Sunday rooting hard against the Eagles, I now like them better than any other team playing this weekend.
Of the remaining eight teams, whom would you most like to see win the Super Bowl?
The Detroit Lions. Stupid BCS computers!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm down to three:
1) Carolina. They seem like a classy bunch, Steve Smith's style of play is entertaining, and I got attached to DeAngelo Williams during the fantasy season. Also, my fiance is from North Carolina, and even though she doesn't care about the Panthers, that's more of a connection than I have with any other remaining team.
2) Tennessee. I like Jeff Fisher and their style of play. I also like the fact that they were predicted to be mediocre-to-awful, particularly after Vince Young freaked out, yet rolled through the season.
3) Philadelphia. I share your sentiments on McNabb, and I had McNabb, Westbrook, and DeSean Jackson on fantasy teams. I also think Andy Reid is due more credit than he gets. More importantly, they're playing the Giants this week, and I find (most) Giants fans incredibly annoying. This pick is tempered by the fact that I also find many Eagles fans incredibly annoying.
Teams I will NOT root for under any circumstances:
1) Arizona. Kurt Warner is far too sanctimonious, and I can't shake the feeling that the Cardinals finished better than 6-10 only on account of the epic suck of the NFC West. They don't deserve this.
2) Giants. See above. Plus Eli Manning achieved permanent weenie status due to his NFL draft stunt, no matter how many Tyree catches he's credited with.
3) San Diego. Phil Rivers and LDT both seem like colossal jerks, and Norv Turner's in-game decisions sometimes make me feel like I could coach a NFL team (and not in a good way).
I am pulling for Chargers and Tennesee or Carolina. I hate the Giants and Mcnabb is very overrated. I wouldnt mind seeing Kurt Warner in there either.
ReplyDeletePhiladelphia is in their position
ReplyDeleteprimarily due to the deffense.For
some reason,the Eagles D always has received short shrift;yet it has been the major reason for their recent (decade) success.
Tennessee - I like Jeff Fisher a lot as a coach. He and Belicheck seem like they're the best out there, and Belicheck is a documented ass.
ReplyDeletePittsburgh - I'm not particularly fond of their fans, or their quarterback, but I like Tomlin, and I like the defense they play.
Root for:
ReplyDelete1. Baltimore
2. Arizona
3. Tennessee (yes I know, conflicts with #1)
Root against:
1. New York
2. San Diego
3. Philadelphia (again, conflicts)
I always tend to gravitate towards underdogs, so although I don't have any compelling reason to root against the Giants/Panthers/Titans/Steelers, I still can't bring myself to root for them. If they all win this weekend, I guess I'd go with the Titans.
Of the underdogs, I'm most intrigued by the Ravens. Until this season, I had thought that the Ravens would be a difficult franchise to root for, being a relatively young franchise and playing mostly uninteresting football (though winning). But with Flacco their offense really started to click, giving them one of the best offense-defense combos in the NFL (only the Giants and Panthers might be better).
As for the others, I've always sort of liked Arizona (even before Warner, Boldin/Breaston and the defense were on my fantasy team), but I really can't get my hopes up for them to go anywhere. I still can't quite shake the feeling that Philadelphia isn't really a playoff-worthy team (though, to be fair, I felt exactly the same way about the Giants last year, up until they won at Lambeau). The Chargers fans I happen to know are the kind that you don't want to be around if they would win it all.