The Hype Before the Storm

By: Patryk Fournier

Unfortunately the finance department at Foursport.ca crunched the numbers and decided that a trip to San Diego was not feasible. Trust me, I would love to be there for Media day. In lieu of the trip, I will still give a report on the week leading up to the big game and then of course the observations from the game.

Monday: I'm still in a jubilant mood. I was a little worried at the start of the game yesterday when the Eagles scored but when I saw Tampa drive down the field and kick that field goal I knew this was a Bucs team with a different mindset. I'm overjoyed that there will be a week's worth of coverage on the Bucs leading up to the game. Living in Ottawa and being a Bucs fan isn't the greatest mesh. It's the equivalent of trying to get Cricket scores from India. Opening line for the game is 4 in favour of the Raiders. Can anyone lend me $50 Bucs? (Ahhhh, you see what I'm doing there? I have cleverly replaced the word 'Bucks', with 'Bucs', short for Buccaneers).

Tuesday: Media day for the Super Bowl and with the cast of characters on both sides someone's bound to say something memorable. Here are some of my favourite quotes of the day, which centered on an annoying Don King impersonator:

John Lynch to the Don King impersonator:"Why don't you go over and bug Sapp and Keyshawn? They're more your style."

Warren Sapp to the Don King impersonator dispatched by the Best Damn Sports Show, Period to disrupt events as much as possible: "That" he said, rolling his eyes, "is why it's not the best damn sports show, period."

Keyshawn on people that don't understand him: "If you don't like Keyshawn Johnson, you've got a problem with yourself."

Lincoln Kennedy on Rice and Brown being late for the Raiders team picture: "Damn, we're sitting out there baking in the sun waiting for those two. I'm sure TV had them. We're sitting over there in the hot sun, and you know, well, we're always waiting for the two Hall of Famers. That's OK, though. You have to learn to baby them."

Simeon Rice on his play: "In Arizona, I was marinating. Now, I'm sautéed. I'm cooked and ready to go."

Oh by the way an update on some temperatures:

Ottawa: -37C (with the wind-chill) or -35F San Diego: 18C or 65F

Wednesday: As far as I can tell there is no chance of me attending the Super Bowl. A local radio station announced they are drawing tickets to watch the Super Bowl. My hopes were elevated for a few seconds until I realized by "watch" they mean you win tickets to watch the game from a local bar.

One thing I have noticed about the Super Bowl coverage from Canadian channels is that they are actually giving it. Finally the lead story on SportsCentre isn't about who the Leafs are going to start in nets or who should play with Sundin on the top line.

As for the temperature in Ottawa, all I can say is that Siberia called, they want their weather back. It's -40C with the wind chill.

Thursday: I'm glad the break between Conference games and the Super Bowl is only 1 week long. Next year they're reverting back to the 2-week long hype fest. I think that one-week gives the teams enough time to prepare for one another. With a 2-week buildup it becomes a case of over-saturation. Can you imagine having to hear the same question posed to Gruden for 2 weeks or the debate about what wins titles offense or defense? Of course if FourSport.ca had the budget I wouldn't mind a 2-week vacation in the sunny south.

Friday: I'm all hyped out. I'm ready for this game to begin. Even the commercials are being hyped, but unfortunately I'll be subjected to the Global feed of the game instead of the ABC feed from the US. This means that all those multi-million dollar ads won't even be shown to Canadian viewers. Instead we'll be stuck viewing commercials for Global programs like "Blue Murder" and endless ads pimping the National Post.

Saturday: Okay time for my prediction: Buccaneers 27 Oakland 13. The game will be close for much of the first half until the Bucs break it open in the third quarter. Mike Alstott will run one in for a score, Keyshawn will catch a TD from Brad Johnson, Gramatica will kick a couple of field goals and finally Derrick Brooks will return an INT for a TD. Zack Crockett will reply for the Raiders and Janikowski will kick two FG's. The Bucs Defense marks their NFL legacy with an incredible performance against the Ray-ders!

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