New England
- Chasing Histroy While Shunning It (Boston Globe) - Bill Belichick and the Pats can truly separate themselves from the pack tonight with a third Super Bowl victory in four years.
- You Know He’d Still Be the Best (Boston Globe) - If Tom Brady were a politician he’d be John F. Kennedy — handsome, charming, and ever the winner. Making it to the top at a young age. The Camelot quarterback
- Contingency Plan (Boston Globe) - Let’s think about The Unthinkable. A Patriot play ends. Ten men walk back to the huddle. The 11th lies on the ground, hurt. I mean, hurt , as in call-for-the-stretcher hurt. The 11th man is No. 12, Tom Brady.
- Fan-tastic Faith (Boston Herald) - Game on. The city and its sports-crazy residents are battening down for another Super Bowl blowout today as fans stream into the streets and supermarket aisles for another February evening bash with the Patriots.
- This is it: History Can Wait for Bellichik, Pats (Boston Herald) - Today Bill Belichick and his Patriots get their wish. There will be no talk about Belichick vs. Vince Lombardi. Nobody will be debating the relative merits of Tom Brady [news] and Joe Montana. The Patriots, as a team, won’t be compared with the Packers of the ’60s, the Steelers of the ’70s, the Niners of the ’80s or the Cowboys of the ’90s.
- Some Officers Concerned About Post-Game Security Plan (WHDH-TV, Boston) - If things get out of hand in Boston after the Super Bowl, police officers will reportedly be required to get written permission from superiors at headquarters before using weapons such as tear gas or rubber bullets
Philadelphia
- Bill Lyon: Day of Destiny (Philadelphia Inquirer) - Forty-four years. That’s how long we’ve kept the candle in the window. Forty-four years since the Eagles last won the championship of professional football. Forty-four years. Six hundred ninety-two games. Eleven coaches. Five owners. Forty-four years.
- T.O. Takes Pressure Off (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Two Teams, One Link (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- A Super Bowl PRayer (Philadelphia Inquirer) - So absurd, I include it in full. :)
Dear God,
This prayer makes us feel somewhat guilty, let’s confess that right away.
Many folks probably think it’s unseemly for a newspaper to get down on its knees and pray to God Almighty for a Super Bowl victory. They’d say it’s a superficial subject for invoking divine intervention.
And maybe You agree with them. God knows - uh, You know - that You are busy with more important matters, from tsunami relief to everyday wedding blessings.
Be that as it may, God, please please please please please grant the Eagles a victory today.
Philadelphia fans deserves a Super Bowl victory. The people here are good, honest (give or take an FBI probe of City Hall), hard-working, family-oriented fans who love our team. Most of us don’t know what it feels like for our Eagles to win a championship. To share that exultant joy with friends, to hug strangers on the street - well, that only happens when teams win championships or wars end. Not nearly often enough. So try us.
Nothing against Boston, God, but you already answered its prayers last fall when the Red Sox finally won the World Series. And the Patriots have won like, what, a dozen Super Bowls? Boston has been there, done that. Boston doesn’t need a victory the way that Philadelphia does.
Obviously, You see all, so You probably see that we have been risking Your wrath as the big game approaches. Yes, we have sinned. Pride? We planned a parade. And one of our players, Freddie Mitchell, disrespected the other team. Gluttony? We feasted for feasting’s sake at Wing Bowl 13. (Didn’t anybody think to skip this unlucky number?) Don’t hold these acts against us, we beseech You. They’re signs of our passion for our team, our city, our brotherhood and sisterhood of fans.
Philadelphia fans get a bad rap. Other people say we boo too often, even at Santa Claus. Well, that was decades ago, and even the fill-in Santa who got pelted said he had it coming. Philadelphians have heart. We cheered 11-year-old Timmy Kelly, who is blind, when he sang the national anthem at the last game. He practiced in a snowstorm. That’s heart.
Some TV comedians did a funny bit years ago in which they’d protest: “We are not worthy.” Dear God, on this day, Eagles fans are worthy. From Mount Airy to Mount Holly, from the Northeast to South Street, from Paoli to Paulsboro, Eagles fans deserve this day. Please grant us this victory.
And we won’t even ask you about the point spread. Thank you. Amen.
