Worth the Hype

I've heard a lot of complaining about the hype surrounding Sunday's Colts-Patriots game, which I don't exactly understand for a few reasons.
1. As the former Pacifist Viking points out, you can ignore the hype if you want to. Stop watching ESPN; you'll be better for it. Don't read about the game if you don't want to.
2. If you love football, how can you not love this matchup? These are quite possibly the best two teams of the last 12 years. The only time the Patriots approached this level was during 2004 AFC Playoffs. I believe this is Tony Dungy's best Colts time by far, which is why the betting line in this game is ridiculous. Maybe the Pats roll, but based on evidence from this season the line should be close to even.
I love the NFL far more than college football because of the excellence of the players and coaches. They are the best of the best, and these two teams are the best we've seen in a long time. If you can't appreciate the game played at it's highest level, well, you let the hype beat you down.
***
Dr. Z is still the best at breaking down games because he watches tape and doesn't parrot the usual Pro Bowl blather. Plus who else can give such details on Raheem Brock? A couple wildly positive lines in his breakdown caught my eye.
On Wes Welker: Might be the greatest hot receiver, or blitz-control guy, who ever lived. From a guy who literally wrote the books on football (The invaluable Thinking Man books), that's saying a lot.
On Logan Mankins: The NFL's best guard.
On Bob Sanders: A mini-Ray Lewis in Lewis' prime.





Comments
shouldn't be watching espn anyways... not if you're a true sports fan.
bring it on! i can't wait!
Posted by: matt | November 2, 2007 02:51 PM
Gregg, you've made fun of other football experts for not knowing their fantasy, how about a little ridicule for Peter King this week?
In his most recent fantasy advice column, he suggests players trade for Jay Cutler. Cutler has probably the most difficult schedule from Week 10 to Week 14 of any QB in football.
If you're picking up Cutler, it's essentially to play him in Week 15 against Houston. Since that's the semifinals for most leagues, you'd be benching the guy who got you to the playoffs for a guy who had just put up 5 lousy weeks in a row.
Peter King is an idiot and his fantasy advice column is probably the worst of its kind on the internet.
Oh, and thanks for getting J.P. Losman onto the 100K board if you had anything to do with that. Now I won't ever have to play Peter's great QB pickup in the Challenge.
Posted by: TheDudeAbides | November 3, 2007 04:10 AM
Gregg as someone who watches most if not all of the Pat's games every year, I think I know the team fairly well. This week I believe Dr.Z has the game dead on. I've told my buddies the same score he said a 34-24 Pat's win.
Two questions why should this game be even? One, the Pat's have scored 52,49 and 48 points their last three games, games. The Colts D is looking good but let's get serious here the Pat's are going to put up 34+ points. Two, who is going to defend Randy Moss. That secondary isn't that great.
The Pat's should have rolled them in the AFC championship last year, they almost did without, Moss, Welker and Thomas. I think Belichick makes another example of the Colts. They win by 10.
Posted by: Dave | November 3, 2007 06:38 AM
The hype backlash isn't about the match up. We all know its a going to be a great game and any fan of football wants to see the two best teams face each other. The hype has been building for weeks now, its being touted as if the other 30 teams in the NFL don't matter. The game doesn't mean much since both New England and Indy are extremely likely to make the playoffs. This is being billed as Super Bowl XLI.5 Maybe as a fan of one of these teams the hype is fun but as a fan of another team I can tell you it is not. Let the game speak for itself, not the media who wants to pump up the audience as much as possible for the first weekend of sweeps.
Nobody should be taking any kind of advice from Peter King. He is very biased and does not write his column for fantasy purposes. He is a great writer but one has to take his opinions with a grain of salt. His opinion on Jay Cutler is probably that he is getting better week by week, developing chemistry with Marshall, Sheffler and Stokley. I'm not seeing how a schedule of KC, TEN, CHI and OAK is exactly difficult, those are all winnable games for the Broncos. Obviously you have to consider what QB you already have but Cutler isn't going to lose weeks for you.
Posted by: Jacyln | November 3, 2007 01:20 PM
From someone who is NOT a Colts or Pats fan, Greg your dead on- the line is ridiculous. The Colts are flying WAY uder the radar heading into this game. Dave above asks who is going to cover Randy Moss? Take your pick! This is the best secondary the Past will face all year (with respect to the over rated Skins secondary) - this game will be close thru-out, I see a Turnover in the 4th being the difference in a tightly fought battle - the two key players in this one....Bob Sanders/Anthony Gonzalez. Colts win 31-27. And as for the Pats scoring all those points....doesn't matter a lick come Sunday-can't wait thought could go either way what a game it should be. As for Peter King, the Lamp sitting on my Computer stand knows more about Fantasy than he does. By the way -Pats difference maker in this one....Kevin Faulk.
Posted by: Scott | November 3, 2007 02:46 PM
scott,
indy's flying under the radar? what radar is that, exactly?
also... you've got a game that includes manning, harrison (possibly), wayne, addai, sanders, brady, moss, vrabel...
and you think anthony gonzalez and faulk are the difference makers?
ooookay.
Posted by: matt | November 3, 2007 06:39 PM