Super Bowl Thread

[NextQuestion]

It seems like Ravens have won it since Wild Card weekend. Media is treating it like this is Ray's last shot at a SB even though he has a ring. Ray is a great player but I still think he's a huge murderer and deep down he knows it too. People talk like Ed Reed has been playing since 1990. Didn't he get drafted in 2001?

I'm so rooting for the 49ers and not just because of Randy Moss. Great coach, great players, and great franchise.

[CalVike]

I will side with Randy Moss over Matt Birk and Bryant McKinnie every day of the week. Randy Moss had his shortcomings but the man could play, and his heart was in the right place off the field. In no way would I ever want Randy Moss back on the Vikings after the stunts he pulled in 2010, no worries there anyway as he's a shell of his former self as a player. But Randy Moss is probably the one player polarizing enough to get Brad Childress flat fired in year one of a contract extension coming off a NFCCG appearance and that's a great thing. Birk bailed off to Baltimore with an equal offer from the hometown team just before that 2009 NFCCG season, no honor in that kind of leaving one's home state team. A little harsh, yes. McKinnie's shortcomings go without saying. So I will root hard for Randy Moss.

[Demi]

I hope Ravens win. No way do I want one of the most selfish players in the history of any sport to get a ring by latching onto a team like a leech. Birk had issues, McKinnie had issues. Neither of them come close to all the crap Moss pulled. From off the field, playing when he wants to play, giving up on plays, and then the press conference when he decides he's not even returning with the team and does nothing but heap praise on the Patriots. Grade A sleaze ball.

[BGM]

I would be happy with either team winning. Should make watching the Super Bowl interesting. Actually, I am expecting a very good game with these two balanced teams. Would like to see Moss get a ring, since I think he's a genuinely decent guy off the field who decided to make himself a caricature. Have to admit it did keep the media at arm's length. I don't ever recall an in-depth personal interview. Just a few reports on his charitable works in WV. I like the Ravens and their hard work approach. Plus, there's the old Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh thing, but that doesn't interest me as much. Kaepernick is a great story, of course. But then, Flacco has quietly become a very good QB.

I guess if I was forced to pick a team, I wouldn't mind the Ravens winning again.

[Demi]

Oh yeah, and 9ers Harbaugh is an arrogant dick. So another reason to cheer against them!!!

[jackal]

I am rooting for the Niners simply because there kind of a home team for me in Northern California
other than that i don't care ..

[Eli]

I can't remember a Super Bowl where I cared less about either team.

[NextQuestion]

I hope Ravens win. No way do I want one of the most selfish players in the history of any sport to get a ring by latching onto a team like a leech. Birk had issues, McKinnie had issues. Neither of them come close to all the crap Moss pulled. From off the field, playing when he wants to play, giving up on plays, and then the press conference when he decides he's not even returning with the team and does nothing but heap praise on the Patriots. Grade A sleaze ball.

This made me laugh. Considering McKinnie played a huge role in the "love boat" scandal and is a total POS off the field. This guy also quit all the time

[Just Me]

<previous portion of post snipped for brevity>...and then the press conference when he decides he's not even returning with the team and does nothing but heap praise on the Patriots.

Not defending everything he did, but I saw that particular event as him taking a "shot at Childress's coaching ability (or lack thereof)." One can argue he "shouldn't have done that" but in my mind, it was totally worth it to be rid of BC.

[vikeinmontana]

surprised that so many people are pulling for ray lewis. the guy is a hell of a football player. and i don't necessarily hate the guy. but it's funny how we just blast our own former players for things like press conferences or leaving our team for more money, or a coach being cocky...yet the fact that this dude who has 6 kids with 4 women and was involved in the deaths of two people is no big deal. they never recovered the clothes he was wearing the night of the murders. he admitted he lied to police and faced charges for that. and he paid settlements to the families of both men murdered. but he's charismatic, a great dancer, and he mentions god and jesus in every sentence so he's a great guy.

like i said, i don't personally hate the guy. just surprised at how forgiving some people can be about major things and how big of grudges we can hold on other players for pretty minor things. good stuff and always very interesting to me.

[Mothman]

surprised that so many people are pulling for ray lewis. the guy is a hell of a football player. and i don't necessarily hate the guy. but it's funny how we just blast our own former players for things like press conferences or leaving our team for more money, or a coach being cocky...yet the fact that this dude who has 6 kids with 4 women and was involved in the deaths of two people is no big deal. they never recovered the clothes he was wearing the night of the murders. he admitted he lied to police and faced charges for that. and he paid settlements to the families of both men murdered. but he's charismatic, a great dancer, and he mentions god and jesus in every sentence so he's a great guy.

I certainly don't believe he's a great guy and when I'm rooting for the Ravens on Super Bowl Sunday, I'll be rooting for the team Lewis plays on, not for Lewis himself. I'll be rooting for players like Birk, Rice, Boldin and Flacco, not Lewis or McKinnie.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

I want Randy to go out and win a ring. He is long overdue for a Super Bowl win. 49ers all the way.

[vikeinmontana]

ya that's pretty much my stance too. just find it facinating the people we're willing to forgive and forget and the people that will be labled thugs, cancers, selfish, etc. for years to come.

[Mothman]

ya that's pretty much my stance too. just find it facinating the people we're willing to forgive and forget and the people that will be labled thugs, cancers, selfish, etc. for years to come.

It's definitely interesting but I think you may be using the words we and we're a little liberally. I know what you mean but it implies something a little more universal than may be warranted. My experience has been that plenty of people are far from willing to forget or forgive the transgressions of certain players. Lewis has proven to be an extremely useful marketing tool for the NFL (and others) and consequently, questionable aspects of his life and past have been seriously downplayed over the years. The NFL decided he would be one of the "good guys", one of the faces of their game and for the most part, the media got in step with that viewpoint, celebrating Lewis' leadership and performance on the football field. However, I hear fans, radio broadcasters, etc. bring up Lewis' involvement in that murder investigation every football season. I think some of us are willing to forgive and forget but some of us aren't.

The same dynamic is at work with Michael Vick. Plenty of fans were quick to forgive him and the media jumped all over his story as one of redemption and a man turning his life around. Others (myself included) have yet to really forgive him for what he did and I certainly wouldn't ever want him to wear a Vikings uniform.

Then there's Jay Cutler, who I think really underlines your point when contrasted with players like Lewis and Vick. Cutler's arguably disliked by fans as much or more than those other two players and what is his big transgression? There's certainly no blood on his hands. People dislike his body language or facial expression and they make assumptions about his attitude base don large part on such superficial observations. As with Lewis, the media has fallen into step and Cutler is widely viewed as one of the league's "villains".

Meanwhile, pill-poppin', wang-textin', repeatedly retirin' Brett Favre was almost always presented as one of the league's "heroes", whether he deserved it or not.

It seems to me that a marketability plays a big role in how these athletes are portrayed.

I hope all of that made sense.

[glg]

was involved in the deaths of two people is no big deal. they never recovered the clothes he was wearing the night of the murders. he admitted he lied to police and faced charges for that. and he paid settlements to the families of both men murdered.

note that as part of his plea bargain, he also testified against the two guys with him that night. both were acquitted due to self defense. I am not in any way saying he didn't do something wrong, but it's not a cut-and-dried story.