From the Vault: Super Bowl XLII Review

In the name all things nostalgic – and as a system of checks-and-balances against my own stupid opinions – the LCHC will occasionally republish and reconsider articles and features I originally wrote for other sites. The goal of this is both to shine a light on my past work, and then to subject that work to mockery and derision thanks to the benefit of hindsight. 

This article was originally published on The On Deck Circle on February 5, 2008 – Super Tuesday 2008 and two days after the biggest Super Bowl upset ever .

Imaginary Player: Super Bowl XLII Review – Barksdale Edition

With the Queen’s Sports Industry Conference pilfering my entire life’s schedule last week, you, the loyal reader (ed: singular form intention) of this space were regrettably not treated to my superfluous yet scintillating ramblings last week. In order to correct this misstep, I will be live and in full effect at least twice this week. Yes, containing of your excitement may prove impossible, so try not to strain anything.

Today though we will fully examine the forty-second version of the Great American Game. The most over-exposed and promoted Super Bowl ever did the impossible: it managed to surpass the hype. 97.5 million people saw the Giants somehow make 18-1 a reality. The unbeatable Patriots were brought to their knees in a flurry of secondary blitzes and perfect execution by the New York front four. For one night at least, Eli F’ing Manning (!) was the finest player in all the land. No, really.

When considering and appraising the brilliance that was Sunday night’s drama, it is only fitting that we pay homage to our time’s greatest drama, one that delivers a theatrical spectacle EVERY Sunday, Super or otherwise. I speak of course about the power and the glory that is The Wire, the most compelling, mesmerizing piece of television canon ever created.

So Crazy It Just Might Work: Vernon Davis at WR

The San Francisco 49ers are in an interesting, challenging spot as they look towards the new NFL season. The team was only a few minutes away from coming back to win the Super Bowl last year, and quite rightly carries renewed championship expectations ahead into this season.

Confidence and experience aside though, injuries already make the team’s chances of a return trip to the title game anything but assured. They face the painful reality that its leading receiver Michael Crabtree will be out until at least November with a torn Achilles tendon, and overall their stable of receivers is untested and underwhelming. One would think that no matter how terrific their defense is, if the Niners expect to have any kind of meaningful success this year Colin Kaepernick is going to need to have guys to throw to before Thanksgiving.

Enter all-everything tight end Vernon Davis.

Davis was already expected to be the Niners primary target from his natural position of TE, but now news has emerged that he has also spent some of training camp lining up at wide receiver. If that doesn’t put the fear of God into several corners in the NFC, I’m not sure what will.