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Sports

Everyone can cheer at Super Bowl

Sports Commentary

Todd Kastendieck

Sunday's game in Jacksonville between the Patriots and Eagles should be a great matchup between two teams trying to find their identity. But just as they are from two different conferences, they have taken two different paths to get to the big show.

The heavily favored Patriots are trying to win their third Super Bowl in four years and a reputation as a dynasty. They would be mentioned alongside the Steelers of the 1970s, who won four Super Bowls in six years, and the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s, who won four out of nine years. There is also America's Team up I-45 North with the big star on its helmet that won three out of four years in the 90s. A win on Sunday will ensure the Patriots as the team of this decade. Pats' quarterback Tom Brady also hopes to keep his winning ways as he looks to go 9-0 in his postseason career. 

Standing in the Patriots' way are the Philadelphia Eagles, who finally got the monkey off their back and won the NFC Championship for the first time in the last four straight years (0-2 at home). The Eagles lost their only other shot at a set of Super Bowl rings back in 1981 with a 27-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders. So for the second time in franchise history, the Eagles will try to bring their sometimes raunchy but faithful fans an NFL title.

The series between the two teams tells us very little, with only nine games between the two. New England won the previous match 31-10 last year in Philadelphia, and the Eagles took five in a row before that. Philadelphia leads the all-time series 6-3. 

But that's enough stats for a moment because we know they all fly out the window the moment the pigskin is launched into the air at around 5:30 p.m. CST -- not to mention that these two teams are not the same teams they were all those years before. They're not even the same teams they were when they met in 2003. Corey Dillon was acquired in a trade with Cincinnati and took over for Antowain Smith as the Pats running back, and the Eagles just might have Terrell Owens, also acquired via trade, catching some passes at wide receiver.

If T.O. is ready, should the Eagles play him? There is, of course, the risk of re-injuring the leg he broke on Dec. 19 against the Cowboys, and he might disrupt the flow of the Eagles offense. Also, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb has done fairly well in this postseason without T.O., and bringing him back in might upset the other receivers, like Freddie Mitchell (two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game), who has done so well in Owens' absence.

Even if you can't root for either team, this game does offer a player for everyone to cheer on. Jeff Thomason takes over for injured Eagles tight end Chad Lewis. Just last week, Thomason was working construction, and now after two years of retirement from the NFL, he has the chance to help the Eagles win a title and get a ring for himself. This is a truly inspirational story that teaches us all to never give up, because our chance could be just around the corner.

Any way you look at it, these teams are very well matched, with both defenses allowing their opponents 16.3 points a game, while New England's offense scores 27.3 a game and the Eagles put up 24.1. 

I see this one shaping up with New England winning another Super Bowl by a last second field goal, 27-24.
 

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