THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ARE everybody's favorites to win Super Bowl XXXIX. The word "dynasty" is following them around, along with coach Bill Belichick's dour expression. If they win Sunday they will have won three Super Bowls in the last four seasons and will walk where only the Dallas Cowboys have walked before. Impressive indeed are these New England Patriots. All this week I have told myself ... I will not be a homer ... I will not be a homer ... I will not be a homer when it comes to making a Super Bowl pick. But after sifting through the stats, the hype, and the regular season, I have come to this objective conclusion: The Eagles can win this game.
Over the last four seasons, the Eagles and the Patriots have won more games than any other two teams in the NFL. While the Eagles have stumbled in the last three NFC title games, their body of work is nearly as good as New England's. Belichick knows that and so do the Patriots. In fact, many in the New England camp believe the Eagles are a better team than the other three the Patriots have faced in the Super Bowl.
Let's go back to last season's Super Bowl. The Carolina Panthers scored 29 points on the Patriots and might have beaten them if it wasn't for a kick that sailed out of bounds after the Panthers had tied the game. Now I ask you who has the better offense: Last year's Panthers or this year's Eagles?
The Eagles will score against this New England team. Don't be deceived by New England's two playoff victories over the Colts and Steelers. The party line is that the Pats defense is almost Hall of Fame quality now because it shut down the game's greatest passing team in the Colts, then shut down the game's best rushing team in the Steelers. But let's take a closer look at both of those games.
Against the Pats, the Colts didn't run their normal offense and chose the dink and dunk over getting the ball downfield, after New England successfully shut down the Colts' running game. The offense that Indy ran against the Pats was much different than the one they had been running all season. It's psychological now with Peyton Manning and the Patriots. He suffered through the same thing in college. He could never beat the Florida Gators under Steve Spurrier when he was at the University of Tennessee. Maybe the weather was a factor; maybe it wasn't.
Along come the Steelers and the big rookie QB Ben Rothlisberger. The rookie looked like a rookie and threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. And it wasn't like the interceptions were great plays by the Pats; Big Ben just simply threw the ball to the other team.
McNabb will not do that Sunday. If he does the Eagles will get beaten soundly. McNabb has yet to throw an interception in this postseason. If the Eagles don't turn the ball over, they will beat the Patriots. Belichick and the Patriots excel at taking away what the other team does best. The Patriots will try and take away Brian Westbrook. But this is not a one-dimensional Brian Westbrook. What do you take away, Westbrook's rushing or Westbrook's pass receiving? The beauty of this Eagles offense is the way it spreads the ball around to so many players. The key ingredient is its diversity, which means it is hard to hone in on what it does best. It does a lot of things very well, which will make Belichick's job more difficult.
But forget about the Eagles offense against the Patriots defense for a moment. The big storyline of this game will be the Eagles defense against the Patriots offense. The Eagles shut down the NFL's top rushing team when they beat the Falcons. But they will face a stiffer test in Corey Dillon, who is a better back than any of Atlanta's. We all know about the play of Jeremiah Trotter. But look for linebacker Keith Adams to be the X-factor against Dillon and the Patriots. He was great against the Falcons and is the unknown here. Adams has been so good, Mark Simoneau has not been able to get on the field. But look for Simoneau to play Sunday.
When the Eagles shut down Dillon, New England will look to go downfield. Tom Brady has developed into a very good long ball thrower, and that means that the Pats will test the Eagles two young cornerbacks, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown. There are many NFL insiders who will tell you that Sheppard didn't really deserve his Pro Bowl selection, and only got it because he was able to return a couple of his interceptions for touchdowns, one of which came on Monday Night Football. Lito, they say, can be beaten and Belichick will go after him. Ah, but wait. Sheppard has been on this Altell Stadium turf before when he played for the University of Florida against Georgia in the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" and he never lost. Plus Sheppard hails from Jacksonville and this is his hometown. Trust me, how Sheppard plays Sunday will also be a key to the outcome.
The Eagles are going to have to take some of the pressure off Sheppard and Brown by generating a pass rush. That leads us to another Florida Gator who had had tremendous success against Georgia at Altell Stadium -- Jevon Kearse. If Kearse, along with SEC running mate Derrick Burgess, can get enough pressure on Brady, the Eagles will beat the Patriots.
And here's one last little stat for you to digest: The Patriots rank last in the NFL in kickoff coverage. So look for rookie J.R Reed and maybe even Westbrook to break a long one during the game. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one: EAGLES 30, Patriots 21. See you in Jacksonville.
'Bowl Records
San Francisco 49ers 5-0
Baltimore Ravens 1-0
Chicago Bears 1-0
New York Jets 1-0
Tampa Bay 1-0
Pittsburgh Steelers 4-1
Green Bay Packers 3-1
Oakland/L.A. Raiders 3-1
New York Giants 2-1
Dallas Cowboys 5-3
Washington Redskins 3-2
New England Patriots 2-2
Baltimore Colts 1-1
Kansas City Chiefs 1-1
Miami Dolphins 2-3
Denver Broncos 2-4
St. Louis/LA Rams 1-2
Atlanta Falcons 1-0
Tennessee Titans 1-0
Carolina Panthers 0-1
Philadelphia Eagles 0-1
San Diego Chargers 0-1
Cincinnati Bengals 0-2
Buffalo Bills 0-4
Minnesota Vikings 0-4
Super Bowl Results 19672004
DATE RESULT
Jan. 15, 1967 Green Bay (NFL) 35, Kansas City (AFL) 10
Jan. 14, 1968 Green Bay (NFL) 33, Oakland (AFL) 14
Jan. 12, 1969 New York (AFL) 16, Baltimore (NFL) 7
Jan. 11, 1970 Kansas City (AFL) 23, Minnesota (NFL) 7
Jan. 17, 1971 Baltimore (AFC) 16, Dallas (NFC) 13
Jan. 16, 1972 Dallas (NFC) 24, Miami (AFC) 3
Jan. 14, 1973 Miami (AFC) 14, Washington (NFC) 7
Jan. 13, 1974 Miami (AFC) 24, Minnesota (NFC) 7
Jan. 12, 1975 Pittsburgh (AFC) 16, Minnesota (NFC) 6
Jan. 18, 1976 Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Dallas (NFC) 17
Jan. 9, 1977 Oakland (AFC) 32, Minnesota (NFC) 1
Jan. 15, 1978 Dallas (NFC) 27, Denver (AFC) 10
Jan. 21, 1979 Pittsburgh (AFC) 35, Dallas (NFC) 31
Jan. 20, 1980 Pittsburgh (AFC) 31, Los Angeles (NFC) 19
Jan. 25, 1981 Oakland (AFC) 27, Philadelphia (NFC) 10
Jan. 24, 1982 San Francisco (NFC) 26, Cincinnati (AFC) 21
Jan. 30, 1983 Washington (NFC) 27, Miami (AFC) 17
Jan. 22, 1984 L.A. Raiders (AFC) 38, Washington (NFC) 9
Jan. 20, 1985 San Francisco (NFC) 38, Miami (AFC) 16
Jan. 26, 1986 Chicago (NFC) 46, New England (AFC) 10
Jan. 25, 1987 New York Giants (NFC) 39, Denver (AFC) 20
Jan. 31, 1988 Washington (NFC) 42, Denver (AFC) 10
Jan. 22, 1989 San Francisco (NFC) 20, Cincinnati (AFC) 16
Jan. 28, 1990 San Francisco (NFC) 55, Denver (AFC) 10
Jan. 27, 1991 New York Giants (NFC) 20, Buffalo (AFC) 19
Jan. 26, 1992 Washington (NFC) 37, Buffalo (AFC) 24
Jan. 31, 1993 Dallas (NFC) 52, Buffalo (AFC) 17
Jan. 30, 1994 Dallas (NFC) 30, Buffalo (AFC) 13
Jan. 29, 1995 San Francisco (NFC) 49, San Diego (AFC) 26
Jan. 28, 1996 Dallas (NFC) 27, Pittsburgh (AFC) 17
Jan. 26, 1997 Green Bay (NFC) 35, New England (AFC) 21
Jan. 25, 1998 Denver (AFC) 31, Green Bay (NFC) 24
Jan. 31, 1999 Denver (AFC) 34, Atlanta (NFC) 19
Jan. 30, 2000 St. Louis (NFC) 23, Tennessee (AFC) 16
Jan. 28, 2001 Baltimore (AFC) 34, N.Y. Giants (NFC), 7
Feb. 3, 2002 New England (AFC) 20, St. Louis (NFC), 17
Jan. 26, 2003 Tampa Bay (NFC) 48, Oakland (AFC) 21
Feb. 6, 2004 New England (AFC) 32, Carolina (NFC) 29
Betson's Guide to Jacksonville
The city of Jacksonville has been taking a beating already from some members of the national media as the host city for Super Bowl XXXIX. Unfair, says the "Betson Connection." I have been to Jacksonville every year for the last four years enjoying the college football game better known as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" played between Georgia and Florida. Altell Stadium is split down the middle for this event, with 35,000 Georgia fans on one side and 35,000 Florida fans on the other. It is a unique spectacle and Jacksonville handles it well. OK, it's not the Super Bowl. But the fact that Jacksonville hosts this game every October -- as well as home games for the Jacksonville Jaguars -- doesn't exactly qualify for the Cowtown status it has been receiving in many circles. For those of you who might be lucky enough to be headed to Jacksonville, here is our unofficial guide to the Super Bowl host city:
Best Party Place -- The Jacksonville Landing. Located on the St. John's River, this is like a mini-Quarter with shops and eateries. During Florida-Georgia weekend they set up stage and rock all night long with live bands. You know it will be the same for the Super Bowl. This is also the place where The Best Damn Sports Show Period, hosted by Tom Arnold, will tape daily from 1-5pm this week.
Best Way To See Jacksonville -- On the water taxis that travel up and down the river. These are unique little water jitneys and they make stops on both sides of the river. This is the best way to bar hop. Sometimes during Florida-Georgia week, fistfights break out between Gators and Bulldogs as they ride the taxis. Could that happen this weekend with Eagles and Patriots fans?
Best Thing to Do If You Don't Have a Super Bowl Ticket -- Visit the Times-Union Streetfest, compliments of the City of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Super Bowl Committee and the Florida Times-Union. Spanning both sides of the St. John's River, the Streetfest will feature live bands, food, drink and nightly fireworks shows. They will set up two stages with continuous live music. One will be at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, a minor league ballpark that's home to the Jacksonville Suns. The other will be at the Shipyards. Free entertainment highlights on Friday night include Huey Lewis and the News (10:30pm, Coors Light Shipyard Stage); Jon Secada (8:30pm, Baseball Grounds); and Kool and the Gang (10:30pm, Baseball Grounds). Saturday's acts include Frankie Beverly featuring Maze (8:30pm, Baseball Grounds); Baha Men (10:30pm, Baseball Grounds); Eddie Money (2:45pm, Shipyard Stage); 38 Special (10:30pm, Shipyard Stage).
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California, Here They Come
Bullies announce they are abandoning the Boardwalk, heading to Golden State
By Lori Hoffman
THE ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK Bullies are moving to Stockton, and we don't mean the local college campus. After agreeing to give the city one more year of professional hockey last spring -- despite continuing financial woes -- the team will look for a fresh start in Stockton, Calif. next season. This past Monday, Boardwalk Bullies VP/GM Dan Belisle announced that George Shinn's Atlantic City Hockey LLC, the parent company of the Bullies, has sold the Atlantic City ECHL membership to the Stockton Hockey Franchise Group, owned and operated by Michael Reinsdorf. The franchise will relocate to Stockton, Calif. at the end of the season. They won't be called the Bullies. George Shinn has retained ownership of the name Boardwalk Bullies.
Atlantic City has been near the bottom of the ECHL in attendance, the lowest figures in the four-year history of the franchise. This is despite the fact that the team has been in first place in its division for most of the season. The Bullies were a winning team from the start -- going to the playoffs every year and winning the Kelly Cup in 2003.
However, as Belisle noted with regret, "Most teams that have that kind of success on the ice, draw four to five thousand people a night. Unfortunately, we struggled to get two thousand." In the four years that the Bullies were in town, Belisle says the hockey team contributed almost $12,000,000 to the local economy, but sustained in excess of $5,000,000 in losses. "Last year we saw significant improvements," said Belisle. "We turned the corner a little bit in regards to attendance, revenue was up and expenses were down. It gave us a lot of hope for the potential of the market. This season, attendance has dropped again, down 27% percent. We needed to get to 1,700 season tickets. We didn't get there. We needed to draw 4,000 a night. We didn't get there."
While it was hoped that the NHL lockout might increase interest in minor league hockey, it appears to be having the opposite effect. What has trickled from the lockout, apparently, is our nation's continued apathy toward ice hockey. "I attribute part [of the attendance decline] to the NHL lockout," said Belisle. "We all thought in the industry that we would see a dramatic increase and just the opposite has happened. You don't read about hockey, you don't see it in the papers. It has become out of sight, out of mind."
The loss of the franchise is a major blow to Boardwalk Hall. A big hunk of the $90 million spent on renovations on the building went to the hockey rink. "We are extremely disappointed with this turn of events," said Jeffrey Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). "Late last season and again earlier this season, we found local business people who were interested in purchasing the team and keeping them in Atlantic City. For whatever reason, current ownership chose not to pursue that opportunity. We are already discussing our options for new ownership to replace the Bullies." Greg Tesone, assistant GM of Boardwalk Hall, says that there are two viable ownership options, both of which are New Jersey-based. "We believe that local ownership is pivotal to the long term success in this market," he added.
The ECHL does not want to lose one of its best facilities. Brian McKenna, commissioner of the ECHL, stated, "The League retains interest in the Atlantic City market and we've pledged our commitment to assist the facility and the ACCVA in their pursuit of a new franchise."
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