NFL Pick 'em 2010: Week 22 - Super Bowl XLV

[Dragon]

Pick one:

Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers



Last chance to break that three-way tie at the top of the standings! Or you could be boring and all pick the same way...

[Jedi Master Carr]

I have a suggestion to break the tie. We should all give our predicted scores of the SB. How does that sound?

[Rutabaga]

I don't mind a tie, and I don't mind not finishing in first place. I'm just stunned I ended up at the top of the heap after doing so badly in the first month or so of the season that I was threatening to quit. Remember that? :lol :mischief :shakefist

But whatever you want to do is fine with me, just let me know!

[Miranda Tarkin]

Predicted score. Feh :mneh

Either way, I want the Steelers to win. Nuff said.

[Dragon]

If Rutabaga, Nathanial K'cansce, and JMC all agree to picking a score to break the tie, we can do that. Otherwise, I don't want to change the criteria in the last week of the contest.

Of course, everyone can just pick scores for fun, since otherwise there's not a whole lot of variety.

[Anne Phoenix]

Green Bay Packers (S) 24-21

[Liam Jinn]

Green Bay Packers

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am okay with picking the score. but it is up to Rutabaga and Nathaniel

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I'm cool with guessing the score as well. Even though that will be my one and only downfall and cost me the game.

[Rutabaga]

Me too, I'm terrible at guessing games, but like I said, whatever everybody else wants to do it okay by me. So I guess it's unanimous. :)

[Anne Phoenix]

I'm just doing it for fun regardless. ;)

[Figrin D'an]

I'm going to take a pass on picking this week. I think it's obvious who I'm rooting for. I see this as a very tight game most of the way, with the defenses being a force early on, then a bit of an offensive burst in the 2nd half. The two key matchups that will decide the game IMO:

- Pittsburgh's center (Maurkice Pouncey or Doug Legurksy) vs. Green Bay NT B.J. Raji. B.J. Raji has become a beast this season, and if he gets penetration, the Steelers will not be able to run up the middle, forcing more runs to the outside and playing into speed of the Packer's linebackers. If Raji can be slowed somewhat, Mendenhall could be effective as an inside runner.

- The Steelers pass rush vs. Green Bay tackles Chad Clifton and Brian Bulaga. Clifton and Bulaga have to play well for the Packers to win this game. If guys like Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Hood, etc, can tee off on Rodgers, the game is over. If the Steelers rushers can be slowed a bit and Rodgers has time to throw, he can pick apart any secondary, including Pittsburgh's.

I expect a great game, and whichever QB can make a few big plays likely hoists the Lombardi Trophy after it's over.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Green Bay 32-27, I see a shoot out and I think Pittsburgh's defense is vulnerable to the pass. Manning, Brady, and Brees all picked their defense apart this year. Rodgers did it last year and I think he will have a big day.

[Rutabaga]

Green Bay Packers 28-24 *crosses fingers*

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Packers, 17-14.

[Dragon]

Let's do this.


Steelers, 27-21

[Ryan Pode]

Go Pack! Go!

And I'm going to be different-- 37-21

[Anne Phoenix]

Green Bay F...T...W...!!! :lol :lol :lol

[Rutabaga]

A very bizarre season ends on a great note...so so so happy that the Packers won!!!! :eee :dance :) :eee :dance

And congratulations, Jedi Master Carr, I do believe you're a winner too! :clap

[Rutabaga]

BTW, I know I'm incredibly biased, but I loved this commercial during the game:

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[Figrin D'an]

What a game. It lived up to the hype. I'm not afraid to admit, I almost broke down when realized that Charles Woodson and Donald Driver were out for the game after halftime. Those two deserved a championship, and the rest of team found ways to make it happen.

I've already arranged to have Tuesday off of work so I can go to the celebration in Green Bay. Just like with the players, it hasn't quite sunk in for me yet that the Packers are Super Bowl champs again.

Credit the Steelers, they never gave in, and fought and clawed made this one of the best Super Bowls ever from a drama standpoint.

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It was a great super bowl. Rodgers played great but those turnovers aided the Packers to winning this game. I guess my score was the closest but I will that to Dragon to figure that out. I agree wit Rutabaga the best commercial was the Darth Vader one, it was cute and funny. A few of the other commercials did stand out like one of the Doritos ones and the one with Justin Beiber and Ozzy Osbourne.

[Dragon]

Congratulations to the Packers - that was one of the best Super Bowl performances we've seen in a long time, sadly matched up with one of the absolute worst (the Black Eyed Peas). As a Steelers fan, I have no reason to hang my head. The turnovers were painful, but each one was the result of superior play from the Packers defense, and Pittsburgh still created their chances to get back into the game. If they had won, Roethlisberger would have been just as deserving of the MVP as Aaron Rodgers. What a game!

Okay, time for the final tally, and for judging scores, I'm going with the absolute value of the differences of the two scores. So if you said it'd be a 28-28 tie, first of all, what the heck is wrong with you; second of all, that makes

31 - 28 = 3, 25 - 28 = -3, |3| + |-3| = 3 + 3 = 6.

Obviously, low score wins, and I'll only use it to break the three-way tie at the top, but I'll calculate it for everyone who gave a score.


Picked the Packers
Jedi Master Carr: 32-27 (3)
Rutabaga: 28-24 (4) :eek holy crap that was close!
Ryan Pode: 37-21 (10)
Anne Phoenix: 24-21 (11)
Nathanial K'cansce: 17-14 (25)
Liam Jinn

Picked the Steelers
Dragon: 27-21 (12)
Miranda Tarkin

Was philosophical about the whole thing
Figrin D'an


Season Totals

1. Jedi Master Carr: 167-100

2. Rutabaga: 167-100
3. Nathanial K'cansce: 167-100

4. Ryan Pode: 164-103
5. Anne Phoenix: 162-105
6. Miranda Tarkin: 161-106
6. Dragon: 161-106
6. Figrin D'an: 161-106
9. Liam Jinn: 160-107
10. Yog: 157-110


Congratulations, JMC! And Rutabaga and Nathanial ought to get at least an asterisk! ;)

[Rutabaga]

Congratulations, JMC! And like I said, I'm absolutely tickled to have finished the season in such great shape when I was doing so horribly at the beginning that I almost dropped out. :)

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Ditto! Congrats JMC!

[Jedi Master Carr]

Thank you, it was very close, especially as it was a tough season to pick.