Roblog

I have surprised myself by the lack of entries recently in my blog. That belies the excitement I am feeling over tomorrow's Superbowl game. My Eagles are finally in it.

Almost every sportswriter is saying the Patriots are going to win in a blowout. I guess because they have won two of the last three Superbowls and have gone something like 33-3 during the past few years. That's pretty good. But the Eagles have not been shabby either. They only lost one game in games where their starters played, and the playoff games haven't been all that close.

I admit that the Eagles are in the NFC, and the NFC has been beaten up pretty good by the AFC this year. The Eagles are also handicapped by the fact that Terrell Owens will not be 100% for the game, although he still could be well enough to make some plays. The Eagles do not have Superbowl experience, except for a few select players. It will have to be seen if that will affect their play.

So what do I think? I am troubled by the fact that I'm having a hard time separating my opinion as an Eagles fan from my opinion as a well-informed football fan. I really think the Eagles have a legitimate shot. Their defense is solid, their secondary superb, and McNabb can make plays that other quarterbacks cannot. Turnovers will be the key. The team that has the most turnovers will lose.

It's only a game. I'll be fine no matter what the outcome. But I really hope the Eagles win. And if they don't, my next wish would be for a close game. And if it isn't, then I would like to see them back in the Superbowl soon so that they can try again.

It's halftime in the Superbowl. My impressions: the Eagles are darn lucky to be tied with the Patriots 7-7. The offense has been inconsistent, although a few big plays allowed them to score the touchdown. Their defense has been quite good, although the last two Patriots' possessions have had their way with the Eagles defense.

I am trusting that Jim Johnson will figure out how to stop the Patriots' offense a little better and that Donovan McNabb will not be so erratic with his passes. Otherwise, my next blog entry will be lamenting the Eagles' loss.

The Eagles lost the Superbowl because they were the poorer team. The game didn't seem as close as the 24-21 score would indicate. McNabb did not look very good, missing many of his passes badly. Even decision-making at the end of the game (an onside kick that gave the Patriots excellent field position, and attempting to complete passes in the middle fo the field with 30 seconds left and no timeouts) implied that the coaching staff was not up to the challenge.

The Eagles had the best season of their existence, but they still came up short of giving the city of Philadelphia, and their fans, the championship they have been craving.

I always get a kick out of running to catch my bus at the end of the day. Three times in the past 6 working days, I've run to catch my bus, and each time I was able to get on before it pulled away from the bus stop.

I'm not exactly sure why I like doing that so much. Part of it is knowing that I did not have to wait at all for the bus, and so I will be getting home quicker than usual. Part of it is realizing that not many people do, can, or want to, run to catch the bus - no one seems to be that enthusiastic at the end of the day. But I think most of it is the feeling that "I won" - I was able to get on the bus that is within sight, navigating the pedestrian and automotive traffic safely, and avoiding a 10-15 minute wait for the next one.

So if you see a skinny guy running down Milam at about 5:20 PM, don't worry about it. I'm winning.