AOL's Network of NFL Team Blogs -- www.pigskinbloggers.com

Welcome to the most overblown week of sports coverage known to man. Two powerhouses from big east coast markets w/ insane fan bases are in it, so Super Bowl XXXIX should be the most talked-about matchup since the first Bud Bowl; or maybe even Dan vs. Dave. Be that as it may, we're bloggers here, and it's our civic duty to go one step beyond the media majority to give you the superfan's perspective on the Iggles-Pats showdown.

Donovan McNabb says, "I've heard this matchup called 'dynasty versus destiny.' I'm going with destiny." Read on to see who the Pigskin Bloggers are going with, post your prediction here and perhaps hear them read on-air during the Pigskin Bloggers Live Super Bowl extravaganza radio show.

 Belly Check for the champs: "New England is looking to secure their place in history. Winning this game pushes Belichick over NFL Lords like Lombardi, Parcells, Landry, Gibbs... you name it. Tom Brady's ring hand will shine more than that of Elway, Staurbach, LT, Unitas, Favre, and anyone else actively throwing for a living. We will be a dynsaty without contemporary peer...all we have to do is beat the Philadelphia Eagles. We have the guys to do it. Our defense ranks among the best ever. Willie McGinest could be tried for what he's done to little men in single-digit jerseys. Rodney Harrison may be the meanest man alive, and his hobby is hitting people in the back. I dare you to laugh at the names of Randall Gay, Earthwind Moreland or Rosie Colvin when they are in earshot. The New England Patriot defense could divert tsunamis, and Donovan McNabb has a tall task ahead of him."

"The offense won a Super Bowl last year....then went out and got much, much better. Corey Dillon's rags-to-riches story looks like a hip-hop Dickens steroid fable. Mike Vrabel is so versatile, he can defend his own touchdown catches. TroyBrown is a 2way star that Chuck Bednarik would appreciate. Snow can't cover Branch or Givens, and Tom Brady is better looking, richer, more talented and cooler than you...and he has had Leading Lady Lap Leisure, if you know what I mean. We dined on Ram in New Orleans, and we cooked up some Panther steaks last year, served with breast of Janet Jackson. This Sunday's special is Eagle. Your chef will be Bill Belichick. I'd be less shocked if Paul McCartney horsewhips Lindsey Lohan at the 50-yard line during the halftime show than I would be if the Patriots fail to bring a third title back to the City of Champions."

 Riding Shotgun on the Gravy Train

 Year of the Bird for the contenders: "There's nothing worse than a New England Patriots fan (except of course for a Cowboys or a Redskins fan). Philly fans might be proud to the point of hysteria, but Pats fans are just cocky. Three Super Bowl appearances in four years and oh yeah, those BoSox that just won the World Series. I can't take 'em anymore, they will go down on 2/6! Much like we surprised everyone by not coming out cold after sitting our starters for several weeks. Much like we dominated the dynamic duo of Culpepper and Moss and the purportedly magical Michael Vick. The Eagle D will confuse the Pats offense and throw Brady off his game. McNabb's confidence both in and out of the pocket will keep the dominating Pats D honest and open up some opportunities for receivers like L.J. Smith, Greg Lewis and yes, most likely even to T.O."

"The bottom line is this. The Eagles have the throngs of Philly faithfuls behind them. They have a quarterback who is playing at the top of his game thus far in his career. They have a running back that is just as dangerous flanked out as a receiver as he is coming out of the backfield on a short screen pass. They have a coach who has joined the ranks of Mike Holmgren and John Madden as the only coaches to have ever recorded a playoff victory five yearsin a row. The key to this game is twofold for the Eagles. They must avoid turnovers. Secondly, the Eagles must score and score early. It's nearly impossible to play catch up against a Belichick defense. If these two things combine, the Eagles will reign victorious and the cocky New England fans will be left in a puddle of their own tears."

 Excited to Be Back in Uniform

Super Bowl XXXIX Predictions
· Sportz Assassin: "YES....if this was a 7-game series...I'd say the Pats in 5 or 6.  But in the Super Bowl...anything can happen.  IF the Eagles offensive line gives McNabb time [and he can buy himself some extra seconds]...he can pick apart that beat up Patriot secondary. They didn't get a chance to be exposed against the Colts...but Roethlisberger didn't do that bad against them [except when he misread coverages]. I am picking the Eagles to win, 27-20. So, there it is. My Super Bowl Champion pick is the Philthy-delphia Eagles. Oh, God…I think I just threw up in my mouth saying that."

 Coztanza's Commentary: "The Eagles are hungry and healthier. David Akers will join counterpart Adam Vinateri as a Super Bowl hero as his kick with 0:00 will bring Philadelphia its biggest win since Villanova beat Georgetown in the NCAA Championship Game in 1985. Eagles 23-20."

 Lions Den: "The Patriots benefited first from the weather (Colts game) and playing against a rookie (Steelers game) and McNabb is a proven winner and a much more difficult QB to defend. Then you add Terrell Owens against a patchwork secondary and you have the makings of a huge game for the Eagles. Eagles 35-14."

 Premature Jockularity: "The '60s Packers, '70s Steelers. '80s 49ers and '90s Cowboys didn't win with this much style. PATRIOTS 27-20."

 Ravens Blog: "Brady will pick apart Philly's defense with short, crisp passes and the occasional long one to keep Brian Dawkins and company honest. Dillon will find holes in the Philly front seven, through a variety of draws, etc. Defensively, New England gang tackles the best in the league and Philly's 'playas' will have nowhere to turn, even if they catch the ball. New England wins, and Belichick has to be put up on the throne as one of, if not the best, coaches in NFL history. Patriots 31-13!"

· Packerz Zone: "Madden 2005 says the Patriots will win by 7. In fact, 101 points will be scored in this years Super Bowl according to this simulation, and Tom Brady will earn another Super Bowl MVP. Even two players came off the IR to contribute, I guess because they really really really wanted to play. Patriots 54-47."

Super Bowl XXXIX Ruminations
· Quick Slants: "Every night at 6:00, Philadelphia news stations exhaust every possible Super Bowl angle, as well as their audiences. From secret childhood footage of Andy Reid to Freddy Mitchell’s pet hands, they have all bases covered. Most of the stories, however, are bad. So bad that they’re downright funny."

 Raiders Ramblings: "The Patriots are the NFL’s dream franchise, one where people are insignificant cogs in an unholy steel colossus that rolls inexorably forward. However, as the machine rolls on and the NFL loses steam with the same boring bunch winning time and again, one wonders if the NFL will realize the truth behind the old adage that one should be careful what one wishes for… you might get it."

 Lions Weekly: "To become champions you have to beat champions. It's an old cliche' but fitting for this team that has endured 3 straight years of heartache by not making it past the Conference Championship. I don't think they're content to stop there."

Super Bowl XXXIX Odds & Ends
· Philly Fans Borrow Against Their Home for Tickets
· Donovan's Revenge
· Philly Fans Got Rep for Booing Santa
· Top-Five All-Time Super Bowl Heroes

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• #32 Comment from edg3610 
  3/27/05 9:18 PM | Permalink

  I was an NFL fan since before some of you were born.  I enjoyed the way the game was played, not now with all this dancing, and all the other stuff that goes on in the side lines.  I especially don't like all this curley cue hair sticking out from under the helmet.  I know that this is a game, played by older boys called men, but it is also a business, and each player representes the business he works for and should present a professional image.  The only way for this to stop, is for the owners to grow up themselves, and demand that as a player and an employee of that business, they dress and act accordinely, and also look approiate with no more long curley cue hair.
• #31 Comment from cheech13757 
  2/4/05 9:52 PM | Permalink

  pats pluck eagles 41 -9 .corey dillon 164 yards rushing. mcnabb sacked 4 times.
• #30 Comment from lafko06 
  2/4/05 7:29 PM | Permalink

  You've heard it before:
  
                    DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  T.O. and the Eagles have been about the HYPE. It's not their fault it's their firts trip back to the BIG GAME in a while. You give a bunch of individuals the cahnce to promote themeselves and you see the effects. T.O> is all about T.O. playing . He hasn't given his TEAM much respect in winning without him and if he can't play and contribute in a BIG WAY then he actually hurts his TEAM with his actions of the past two weeks. I wouldn't put it by him to hav emade all the injury and recovery up just to try to capitalize on future benefits. The PATRIOTS have been all business talking and respecting there opponent and not self-promoting themesleves one bit. THis is where the difference is with the two teams and will play out in a BIG way on Sunday.
  
  PATRIOTS BY 17 POINTS.
• #29 Comment from bestactor 
  2/4/05 5:53 AM | Permalink

  Farley Malorrus (Addendum)
  BRADY'S GRANDMA PASSES AWAY DOES THIS EFFECT THE SB OUTCOME? In the Tone of THE BUSTER DOUGLAS HUGE UNDERDOG WIN over Mike Tyson, it occurred a day after BUSTER DOUGLAS' Mother died. Now, that TOM BRADY'S Grandmother has died, I tending to believe it's time to put the "family Jewels," on the Pats. OFten times when an athlete loses someone close to him through death, "he plays the game" for that person. All the predictions I made about the EAGLES winning the Super Bowl, may now change, due to the recent death of the Brady Grandma. It adds an interesting tinge to the game, and explains why Brady seems 'injured' in his horoscope. Perhaps it is an emotional injury that he feels. I still tend to stay with the Eagles, but you never want to anger a wounded Lion.. Farley Malorrus
  
  Prediction: Eagles 31, Pats 21
  
  If Brady has a Buster Douglas reaction:
  
  Pats 48, Eagles 28
  
  
• #28 Comment from bestactor 
  2/4/05 5:53 AM | Permalink

  SUPER BOWL PREDICTIONS
  
  
  FARLEY MALORRUS
  
  "PIGSKIN BLOGGERS LIVE" OFFICIAL ASTROLOGY PROGNOSTICATOR
  
  THE Super Bowl is upon us, and the EAGLES are primed to win it. THe Patriots always attack the strength of their opponents to cripple them, but after looking at most of the Eagles HOROSCOPES, this PIGSKIN ASTROLOGER feels it will be the "no Names," on the Eagles that win the Super Bowl. Dorsey Levins, the Eagles Front Four, Brian Westbrook, and if Terrell Owens plays, as I feel he will, he will be used as a decoy to pull the double coverage so Pinkston and Mitchell can catch the TD's, along with the Tight End they just picked up. I feel the Eagles record is deceptive, as they should be 15 and 1, considering they only forfeited the RAMS and BENGALS Game, and that overall they are a much better team then their record shows.
  Donovan Mcnabb's horoscope is on "fire," and should get the MVP, with 1 or 2 rushing Touchdown's, and 2 or 3 passing Touchdowns.
  IF the Eagles Defense performs as I feel it should, the Super Bowl will be a defensive ball control battle, with the Eagles winning in the end. 31-21. Many of the scoring coming in the 2nd half.
  Tom Brady's Horoscope for health is way off, so I won't be surprised if he goes down with injury in the 1st Half, in which case the Eagles are a shoo in. Watch carefully to see it the Eagles Defense tees off on Brady, right off, and knocks him off his timing. So, that's the Pigskin Forecast for the Super Bowl with the Surpising Eagles revealing the GIANT they are, and THe Pats succumbing to a team they grossly underestimate. I feel it was Andy Reid's Ploy to lose 2 games at the end, give the Eagles a record that makes them look vulnerable, and come out shooting in the Super Bowl.