By Michael Kelley ’14 & Mick Kowaleski ’14
The 2012 NFL season is upon us… Finally. These are our fearless predictions for the Super Bowl. ‘Nuff said.
Kowaleski: The NFC is simple: A motivated Aaron Rodgers will lead Green Bay to one of the most, if not the most, prolific offensive seasons in NFL history. I don’t think there’s much competition in that conference. In the opposing half of the league? Forget the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers. There’s one team in the AFC with the perfect balance of offensive fireworks and defensive fortitude to win the Super Bowl: the Houston Texans
Not only will the Texans return to the postseason one year after their maiden voyage into the playoffs, but they’ll also take home the Lombardi trophy. The only reason the Texans didn’t dominate last year was because of injured players Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, and Matt Schaub. Still, their front seven was so strong that they withstood losing Williams and still won a playoff game with a third-string rookie QB. Meanwhile, the Patriots beat one winning team en route to a Super Bowl loss. With Schaub and Johnson returning, nobody has a prayer in the AFC.
Super Bowl Prediction: Texans-Packers, with Wade Phillips’ defense doing just enough for Schaub, Johnson, and starRB Arian Foster to knock Green Bay’s weak defense out of the season.
Kelley: Nobody has a prayer against the Texans, you say? Bold worlds, my friend. When your starting quarterback is named Tom Brady, you always have a chance. It kills me to say it, but the Brady-Bellichek duo has ruled the NFL for years and isn’t done yet. Spearheaded by two studs at tight end (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez), the Patriots receiving corps is scary good. And the rich got richer with the signing of Brandon Lloyd.
While the offense will always rule in New England, the defense didn’t go unnoticed this offseason. First round picks Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower will help upgrade a defense that ranked near the bottom in several major categories. The Patriots will represent the AFC in the 2013 Superbowl.
It’s bittersweet to agree with you, but in this case, I must. The Packers will bully through the NFC and reach theSuperbowl for the second time in three years. Their MVP, Aaron Rodgers, is simply too good and will out-gun Brady to win Superbowl XLVII.
Andy Roddick announced at the beginning of the US Open that it would be his last. When his final shot went long,Roddick delivered an emotional goodbye to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. For the man known for his serve and feisty attitude, what is his legacy?
Kowaleski: At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about this. Why should we care about a guy who hasn’t been as successful as Americans would like? Why should we care about someone who doesn’t win?
Then I started thinking about what Andy Roddick has gone through in his career. Roddick was the only American entry in Grand Slam events 17 times. Basically, that means he was the only American men’s tennis player for a very long time. And in an age when every single thing athletes do is blown up and analyzed on the internet, that means Roddick had to endure the criticism of America by himself for that time. He’s suffered for it. Despite reaching #1 in the world in 2003,Roddick has had to compete with possibly the greatest tennis generation in the Open era.
He’s been constantly criticized for having little besides a fantastic serve and forehand. But he’s managed to stay pretty healthy for a guy whose serve reaches 130 mph, and he’s managed to be decently successful in a field consisting of some of the all-time greats: Federer, Nadal, and possibly Djokovic. The definition of Roddick’s legacy may come from what he himself said:
“I’m the most successful bad player…For a guy who can’t hit a shot, I’ve done OK.”
Kelley: Roddick’s career has been a bumpy one, with its ups, and certainly its downs. Pitched
as America’s next tennis star, he tried to live up to the hype his whole career, but failed to do so. The ups included a 2003 US Open victory and a U.S. Davis Cup team title. The downs have been littered with early grand slam exits and excessive court frustration.
The current era of tennis (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) has been arguably the best ever, forcing Roddick to regularly play future Hall of Famers in their prime. There is no shame in losing to the greats.
What I will most remember about Roddick though, is the passion and energy he showed on the court. His personality makes him easy to cheer for, and very entertaining to watch. His infamous anger has extended from the court and into the media, making for some memorable moments.
Just last week, Roddick, staring straight at a reporter, fired off, “What do you want me to say to make you look better in your story? You’re searching for something. Maybe we can cut the s— and you can tell me what you’re looking for.”
Andy, you will be missed, both on the court, and especially off of it.
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