Super Bowl Sunday February 3, 2008...And A Super Pick

Good morning on this Super Bowl Sunday. The kickoff of the game is scheduled for 6:18PM EST, and I can't wait. This yearly extravaganza marks the end of the football mindset of American sports fans and the beginning of baseball hopes and dreams for all. Being a Red Sox fan, 2008 promises to be a year filled with surprises and realistic hope, for the Boston Red Sox are indeed the favorites to take it all home yet again. Wouldn't that be nice! But today, if only for a post or two, my thoughts are centered on the big game between the surprising New York Giants and the unblemished and undefeated New England Patriots. If the Pats win, they would finish the season undefeated, with a 19-0 record. Nobody will surpass that mark. EVER. The Brady injury, if it WAS an injury, will not affect the outcome of the game. Not one whit. But if the Giant's Plaxico Burress, said to have ankle and knee woes, is in any way hampered by his injuries, New York would be in trouble. BIG TROUBLE. I think the Giants, who listed him as questionable for the game, have been downplaying the true extent of his injuries. And that does not bode well for the Big Apple team.

MY PREDICTED FINAL SCORE IS THIS...34-21 Patriots. THAT'S RIGHT...34-21. The Pats can win even if Randy Moss has zero receptions. The Giants CANNOT win without a 100% healthy Plaxico Burress. It just might come down to offensive depth, and if you study the two teams, you'll realize that New England has a leg up on the Yankees in helmets. So I'm sticking with a prediction that came to me in a mind flash last weekend...sometimes my mind flashes are eerily prophetic. I don't question them, I just remember them. Well, today I shared that "mind flash" with every one of you. If the point spread still stands at 12, the Patriots will cover. Yes, the Patriots will COVER.

In Boston Red Sox news, well, there ain't any. Not today. Pigskin is in the air and in the eyes of many Americans, those who love the game of football or those who love those expensive Super Bowl commercials. And this year will be the first time that 99% of the commercials will be in Hi-Definition. It costs a sponser the same exact price for a 30 second spot, whether it be in standard definition or the superior High Definition. So it makes sense to me that the sponser would want the best presentation possible for the viewer/consumer to see. Tens and tens of millions will be watching. High definition assures the money paying advertiser that their product will look as "appetizing as possible." More than 1.5 million Hi-Def sets have been sold nationwide in the second half of January alone! TV/electronics did not suffer from the diminished Christmas selling season, and I'm sure those who made the Hi-Def transformation will be happy all year long. I know I've been, and I switched to Hi-Def in July of 2005. Or was it '04? HMMM. It doesn't matter...I'll NEVER go back!

So again, if I may...the final score will be 34-21 Patriots, and they will cover the spread by one half to one point. Don't quote me on that and rush out to call your "betting helper," by the way. I do not bet on the teams that I love, if at all. My heart gets in the way, and those of you who know me know that I have a huge heart.

Enjoy this special Sunday, and if you're going to be out on the roads driving to friends and family, be careful out there. On Super Bowl Sunday, there are people on the roads who have consumed an "adult beverage" or six and insist they are OK to drive. WATCH THE OTHER GUY, for he or she might do something that defies logic. And I need every one of you back tomorrow. My readers, and that means YOU, are so special to me, and I will always sing your praises.

So, in closing, be safe, be well, and enjoy yourselves. You deserve it! I'd love to read your comments or predictions, and I will respond to each and every one. HAVE A SUPER SUNDAY!! And click on the title for Dan Shaughnessy's Super Bowl preview. HAVE FUN TODAY! That's what Super Sunday is there for! And as always, BE SAFE.