COLUMNST PETER JAKEY: Super Bowl predictions
Super Bowl predictions
It?ll be defense winning out over offense when Tampa Bay and Oakland meet in San Diego for what is being called ?Chucky Bowl.? Chucky is in reference to the Chucky doll from horror movie fame, who Oakland coach Jon Gruden has an uncanny resemblance to, when Gruden distorts his face a certain way. Sports Illustrated did an article on coach Chucky earlier in the year, and it was funny looking at the comparison photos. So if you hear the Chucky reference this week, when you?re getting caught up in Super Bowl hype, you?ll know why.
Gruden is getting a lot of attention this week because he coached Oakland last year but jumped ship when the Buccaneers fired Tony Dungy. The Raiders have the incentive to a win, a big factor in the NFL, plus they have a great offense. I still don?t believe it?ll be enough to get by Tampa?s defense. This is the Buccaneers? first ever trip to the Super Bowl.
THAT GOT me thinking about the teams that can be crossed off which have never been to the Super Bowl. Detroit, in the nearly four decades of Super games, still remains one of those NFL franchises without a line through it. I believe the Bucs have what it takes this season. I?ve already been fishing around asking for predictions and it appears as if Las Vegas and a lot of folks have Oakland as the favorite. The Raiders are playing extremely well, led by the league?s Most Valuable Player, quarterback Rich Gannon.
I?m still standing by tough defense over high-powered offenses. One only has to look to last year to remember how defense wins titles. St. Louis was the favored team to win the championship game but New England came up with a better performance in stopping Kurt Warner and company. The Rams were unstoppable last year. That?s the same sort of thing I keep hearing about Oakland. The Bucs have the better defense, that?s all I need to know in predicting a Tampa victory. The final score: Tampa 20, Oakland 19.
*** *** *** I was listening to ESPN Radio from San Diego Monday and it was fascinating listening to Hall of Fame official Jim Tunney. He said, as a part of this week?s preparations for the big game, the officials will actually rehearse the coin toss. Really? Tunney, who has officiated several Super Bowl games, talked about the recent headlines regarding blown calls, and the cry for fulltime officials in the NFL, which usually follows mistakes that cost teams games, such as the New York Giants-San Francisco playoff game three weeks ago. Tunney said other leagues have fulltime officials, such as baseball and basketball, and they still make mistakes. He said there will always be the human element involved. Tunney is promoting the book: ?Chicken Soup for the Sports Fans Soul: 101 Stories of Insight, Inspiration and Laughter in the World.?
*** *** *** ESPN has ranked sports franchises in what they are calling the ?Ultimate Standings.? This includes baseball, football and basketball. Number one on the list is the Green Bay Packers. The Red Wings rank eighth on the list and number one in ownership, thanks to Mike Illitch not being afraid to bring in the league?s top talent. The Wings have the second highest payroll in the NHL. Winning three Stanley Cups in six years sure hasn?t hurt his cause. Not winning, and his reluctance to bring in the needed players for the Tigers, contributed to Illitch?s baseball team being ranked 116th. That?s one notch below the Lions. The only area the Lions did well in was stadium experience, which they are 79th. Everything else was below 100. ?The Lions haven?t been a threat since your grandpappy?s ride had tail fins,? the ESPN web
*** *** *** On the local front, Huron wrestling coach Pat Lamb has been impressed with the development of Tyler Gorlewski. The 215-pound sophomore continues to learn more and more technique and was tough last Thursday when Rogers City hosted Mio and Whittemore-Prescott. Gorlewski?s two matches didn?t last a minute. He pinned his Whittemore opponent in 21 seconds and his Mio competitor in 37 seconds. He earned a total of 12 points for the Hurons.
*** *** *** The Viking volleyball team put forth a good effort against Atlanta on Monday. I agree with coach Elena Meharg that they have what it takes to knock off the Huskies. They have a rematch with Atlanta in Posen February 13. I was impressed with the encouragement the girls were giving each other as the games slipped away. They hung in there tough. Senior captain Julie Lewandowski was leading the chatter.
