The field is set for Super Bowl 52.
After Sunday’s NFC and AFC Championship games, only two teams remained: the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.
Neither are among my favorites; I’m a long-time Pittsburgh Steelers fan and once, just once, I’d like to see the Cleveland Browns there. NFC-wise, I’ve always liked the Green Bay Packers. I mean, who couldn’t love a team that plays on the frozen tundra of Wisconsin: My earliest memories of football include television shots of players steaming at the line as they prepared for plays. Snow is usually falling in this memory, and the temperature is hovering around -6 (yes, minus 6).
I’ll admit, I had the worst record of all of the pickers in our college football contest, so I may not be the person to listen to for this, but I’m going to share my pick in a minute.
My college picks were, in some cases, crazy, but from the heart.
Yes, I picked Akron, who got drilled 50-3, but only because I like Mid American Conference teams. I went to Kent State, and had to pick my fellow MAC schools. I also picked my late wife’s alma mater, Southern Miss. Yes, I knew they were going to be out-gunned against Florida State, but there’s always that hope that a major upset could occur and Amelia’s favorites would win.
At any rate, I’m picking the Eagles for an equally crazy reason. I’d have every reason to pick the Pats. I mean they’ve got Tom Brady and company. I’m not really a Bill Belichick fan. It goes way back to when he coached the Browns. He coached, the Browns disappeared and I lost my Sunday NFL games at work. I used to get paid overtime to cover them (back in the day …). Therefore, my loss of additional income is Bill’s fault.
I should like the Patriots; however, they have two – count them, TWO Kent State graduates on the roster. Linebacker James Harrison, a former Steeler, and receiver Julian Edelman, who was a quarterback for my alma mater, both play for New England.
Harrison, 39, is an Akron, Ohio, native. He grew up about 15 miles from where I did. I’ve always liked his hustle, even though many think he levels cheap shots on the field. Harrison, for example, was in the gym working out the morning after the AFC Championship win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. While some players were enjoying the day off and maybe others recovering from celebrations, Harrison, who is at the end of his career, was working out. I admire that.
Edelman, unfortunately, won’t see action in the Super Bowl. He’s been a major offensive factor of the past few seasons, but in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions, he tore his ACL. He’s been recovering from surgery and will be watching from the sidelines.
So with all of these connections to New England, why choose Philadelphia?
It’s simple. I learned to like the Eagles when I lived in Pennsylvania thanks to my friends and coworkers.
My friend Dino was my boss. He was also a rabid Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers fan. Dino and I enjoyed watching the final Phillies home opener at The Vet, the old 1970s cookie-cutter stadium in Philly.
While we didn’t attend an Eagles game together, he assigned me, or rather a member of my photo staff, to photograph the 2003 NFC Championship between the Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was the experience of a lifetime.
Sure, it was cold and the traffic was horrific. If you’ve never driven on the Schuylkill Expressway and the Blue Route, you’re fortunate. It only adds to an already long day.
For those who don’t know, covering pro sports is fun, but the days are long. For a 1 p.m. game, photojournalists are often at the stadium early in the morning setting up to send photos back to their newspapers. The drive into Philly for me was nearly three hours and I needed to be setting up things several hours before the game. Basically, before I even set foot on the field, I’d been at work for 5 hours. Add the length of an NFL game, emailing photos back to the office and driving home and you’re easily at 13 or 14 hours for the day.
By this standard, I should hate the Eagles, but instead, I like them. I like them enough to follow my friend Dino and pick them to win the Super Bowl.
I’ll probably watch in true Philly style with cheesesteaks, Tastykakes and Yuengling as I root for the Eagles.
I may be wrong, but I foresee a good time and a final outcome of Philadelphia 27, New England 21.
I also can’t wait for the commercials.
