Photo Courtesy of AP
It’s official, but it’s not exactly a surprise. The Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in the 48th installment of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2nd at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Most experts had Denver and Seattle as the preseason favorites. Both teams are loaded with talent and finished the regular season as the number one team in their conference. However, the road to Super Bowl was highlighted by two memorable rivalry games.
The Broncos and Peyton Manning knocked off his long-time nemesis Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 26-16 in a relatively one sided game, despite the final score. Manning threw for 400-yards and two touchdowns in the victory, silencing some of his critics in the process. In the NFC Championship game, the Seahawks and 49ers renewed the best active rivalry in the league. A hard fought defensive game ended with a 23-17 Seattle win. However, it was Seattle’s defensive back, Richard Sherman’s words that took the focus away from a brilliant play. Obviously excited, Sherman made choking gestures on the field calling 49ers’ wide receiver Michael Crabtree “sorry” during his post-game interview. Call it arrogant. Call it unsportsmanlike…but it was raw and real emotion.
With both the Broncos and the Seahawks overcoming their biggest rivals to reach the NFL’s ultimate game, they are in a good position to play a thrilling game come Super Bowl Sunday. Both teams are accustomed to playing outdoors in bad weather. Both have talented players in every aspect of the game. Both teams were expected to reach the Super Bowl, but only one will earn the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The only thing left to do is play the game…and endure the NFL’s nearly unwatchable Pro Bowl while waiting for a game that actually matters.
