Suiting up for the Super Bowl: Seahawks vs. Patriots

Suiting+up+for+the+Super+Bowl%3A+Seahawks+vs.+Patriots

Alex Munley

With Super Bowl XLIX coming up in less than a week, we all try and figure out who to root for in this star packed championship. Baltimore is out of the playoffs, so there goes that idea of outrageous Super Bowl parties and possible streaking after the win. That goes for the rest of the 48 States whose teams aren’t in the championship. Now there will be Super Bowl parties, there always are, but once again, in the 48 states who don’t have a team to root for, the parties will be more subdued and more of a social gathering of friends who just want to watch some good, old-fashioned American football.

So as we watch Media Day and Sportscenter go on and on about the stats of each team, we sit and contemplate; who do we want to win?

We have two choices, the Seattle Seahawks, or the New England Patriots. The Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers in a relatively easy manner, 31-17, after having a first round bye. They moved on to the NFC Championship game to play the Green Bay Packers and won (28-22) in one of the greatest finishes in NFL history. People may say that they got lucky in the Green Bay game, and that the Packers should be the ones in Arizona. Others (particularly Seahawks fans) say that it was the resilience and determination of a championship caliber team that moved them on the Super Bowl. But we all know one thing: winning teams know how to win.

The Patriots had a similar road to the Super Bowl. They, too, had a first round bye, and faced the Championship hunger Ravens in the divisional round. The game was close, but the Pats pulled it off in their typical fashion, dismantling Baltimore’s secondary and showing no fear when trailing. They won 35-31. New England then went to obliterate the fan favorite Indianapolis Colts, 45-7.

So that’s how these two teams reached Glendale, Arizona. But why would anyone not like these two great teams? Great question! Let’s start with the Patriots.

Everybody who knows football is familiar with Spygate in 2007. When head coach Bill Belichick had assistant’s video tape the Miami Dolphins defensive calls? Yeah, that’s illegal and considered cheating. Commissioner Roger Goodell fined the Patriots a whopping 500,000 dollar fine, in hopes that something like this would not happen again. Well it did happen again…sort of. After the New England’s complete blow out of the Colt’s, an accusation was brought out against the Patriots. They accused the AFC champions of deflating the balls.

Wait, what?

The Colts accused the Patriots of purposely deflating the footballs, just a little bit, to give themselves more of a handle and better grip on the ball. Surely this ridiculous accusation cannot be true? But it is. 11 out of the 12 Patriots balls were deflated. Can anybody spell “cheaters?” Then there’s Tom Brady, starting quarterback for New England, 2 time Super Bowl MVP, 2 time regular season MVP and 10 time pro bowl selectee. And that’s all the good things people have to say about him. However, the majority of people think otherwise:

“He’s unphysical, he gets spoiled by the referees and just an overall baby.”

“He’s a jerk on and off the field, he’s just got an attitude that everybody hates.”

“I hate him so much. UGH!”

 

Let’s move on to the Seahawks.

No one can deny that they are a good team, just like the Patriots. What about the players on the team?

“They’re just a bunch of thugs,” said one Bel Air High School student, referring to the Seahawks.

Marshawn Lynch, possibly one of the best running backs we’ve seen in recent history, and possibly one of the most unique players, refuses to answer questions from the media after the game and his obscene gestures on the field are second to none. Many refer to him as a “thug” that should learn his place.

Richard Sherman, is arguably the best corner in the league. Arguably. He certainly believes he is, as he said after the NFC championship last year. “Well, I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get! Don’t you ever talk about me! Don’t you open your mouth about the best! Or I’m going to shut it for you real quick! LOB!”

While that unforgettable interview certainly got everybody’s attention, it also created a lot hate on Richard Sherman. After all, everybody loves a humble hero.

Just those two players have many people rooting against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

“I don’t like either team honestly, like these are the worst to teams to have in the Super Bowl from a neutral standpoint because a lot of people don’t like either of them,” said another Bel Air student.

So, the real question is, who do we root for in Super Bowl XLIX? The answer is quite simple really, according to Senior Jason Dinsmore, “Well, we all just watch the Puppy Bowl instead!”