Superbowl XL

I'm starting to get excited about the Superbowl. My team didn't make it, largely thanks to questionable coaching decisions, but thats a topic for another post. No, it's not - how can we have one of the best RB's, the best TE, a great QB, the best run defense and a great squad in all other aspects and go 9-6? Fuuuuuuck....

Ok, moving on.

I'm ordering the KEGS today. Since most of my friends won't drink good beer in quantity, I have to find something lighter, like Rolling Rock or Michelob. 15.5 gallons of that will go down easy. Then a 5 gallon Michelob Ultra for the girls. That's how whipped I am...I bend over backwards for girls I'm not even dating or sleeping with, but my friends are. The Ultimate Wingman, at your service. I'm suprised at how inexpensive these are - $90 for 15gal. of Rolling Rock? I need a kegerator in my house STAT! Then I'd probably never leave...

I'm also trying to get some food prepped. Ribs for the BBQ - the big beef ones - and a couple of london broils are marinating happily away. Let me share my marinade recipe:
Stir 3/4cup light brown sugar into 1 cup Bushmills whiskey until mostly dissolved. Add 1/4cup worchestershire sauce, 1/4cup soy sauce, 1tbsp garlic salt, 1tbsp onion salt. Mix together and marinate. The booze cooks off but softens the meat fiber before it does. The brown sugar makes the stuff kinda glaze over. This recipe is acutally a permutation of a recipe my grandfather got from an Admiral Crow when he was a chief in the Navy years and years ago. Grill it over hot coals so it sears and leaves the center rare and juicy. Mmmmm...beef...

Plus, I'll probably spring for jalapeno poppers and hot wings.

Prediction:

Seahawks 28, Steelers 13

Quarterbacks: Matt Hasselbeck v. Ben Roethlisberger; Advantage: Even.
Seattle has a good passing attack to back their run game, but so does Pitt. A slight advantage may go to the NFC here, as over the last of the season, Seattle has been doing more and more with their passing game by getting Stevens and Seneca Wallace in the mix, whereas Pitt has remained unchanged. Both Big Ben and Hasselbeck are going to have something to prove this weekend, and it'll be one hell of a matchup. Of course, Ben is going to have to throw into that Seattle secondary, and as Delhomme just found out, that is no easy task.

Runningbacks: Jerome Bettis et al. v. Shaun Alexander; Advantage: Seattle
What can I say? The guys the league MVP. His numbers speak for themselves. Pitt is going to have a hell of a time limiting him to less than 100yds and a TD, but I'd look for more. Bettis, on the other hand, is going to be tough to stop. He's got a chip on his shoulder, this is his last year and he's playing in Detroit. All of that factors in. But he's not a good back outside the tackles. He can pound it up the middle so many times, but he can't bounce it outside like Tomlinson, Johnson and Alexander.

Receivers: Ward and Co. v. Jurevicius and Co.; Advantage: Pitt
WIthout a doubt, Ward is going to outclass the Seattle receivers. He's just too good. I look for one big play out of him, with some balls going to Randle El and Miller too. Seattle has strong receivers but no superstars. They are very diverse, however. I wouldn't be too suprised to see Seneca Wallace haul in another insanely good catch for a TD this time around, but I expect Joe Jurevicius and Stevens to split the load pretty evenly. Hasselbeck doesn't like to check-down to Alexander, but I wouldn't be suprised to see some of that to throw the Pitt D off.

Defense; Advantage: Seattle
I have sung their praises enough. Go back and watch highlights of their game against the Eagles and you'll see what I'm talking about. Pitts is good, undoubtadly, but not that good.

So I'll be sticking by my prediction. And drinking a lot. And eating good food with good friends. And hopefully playing some poker with my drunken friends while I'm at it.