This is it. The culmination of a season-long war between the sports editors at the Spectrum comes to head in today's final installment of The Sharpest Point for the fall semester.
This is ... The Greiner Cup.
John Norman and Jim Byrne play for the rights to hoist the Greiner Cup into the air, victorious after a grueling season of typing and stuff. Without further ado, we present the championship round.
This Week's Question: Which teams will play in Super Bowl XXXVIII and who will take home the trophy?
Jim Byrne: If I were asked this question in the first half of the season, there is no doubt that I would have pulled the trigger on a Vikings-Chiefs Super Bowl, because both of those teams were playing out of their minds in the early goings of 2003.
However, the Vikings have lost five of the last six and the Chiefs simply don't look as superhuman as they did earlier in the season, despite their gaudy 11-1 record.
So who is it going to be you ask? Why it's simple, in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI it will be the New England Patriots going head to head with the St. Louis Rams.
With the exception of maybe Jon Kitna and the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots are undoubtedly the hottest team in the league right now. After a rough 2-2 start that included a 31-0 whipping by the underachieving Buffalo Bills, head coach Bill Belichick's crew have rebounded to win eight in a row.
While showing the same form that they did in 2001 by using a low-risk efficient offense captained by Tom Brady, and a tough as nails defense that stopped all four chances the Colts had this week from the one-yard line to win the game, the Pats are clearly looking like the favorites in the AFC.
They define the word "team," clearly evidenced by the heart they have shown even when losing stars such as Roosevelt Colvin and Ted Washington to season-ending injuries.
In the NFC there is no dominant force taking the conference by storm, with teams like the Panthers, Eagles, Vikings and Cowboys holding solid records, but not smashing teams along the way.
So, I go with the St. Louis Rams here because they have a healthy Marshall Faulk and the experience of what it takes to make it to the big game in their back pockets.
I don't see any of the other teams having the ability to stop a clicking Ram offense, and in the playoffs that could prove to be fatal for all the other pretender teams.
While I do believe that St. Louis will make a run to the Super Bowl, I have no confidence in Mike Martz' coaching abilities when compared to Belichick's. It's a night and day difference. Just look at what happened to the 14-point favorite Rams the last time these two played on that fateful day in January.
This time, the Patriots won't be the underdogs heading in.
John Norman: With parity in the NFL being so great these days, the question of who will be in the Super Bowl is still cloudy, even as we enter Week 13. But if any teams look like they will be in Houston at the end of the season, I say it will be the Eagles and Chiefs.
The Eagles have played in the NFC championship game for the past two seasons and have been on the brink of a Super Bowl since head coach Andy Reid took over the reins. But this is their year. They overcame a rough start and a ton of controversy to get back atop the NFC East.
Donovan McNabb and Co. started the season 0-2 and people, even Rush Limbaugh, were questioning McNabb's ability to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Since then the Eagles have gone to 9-1 in a very competitive conference.
Another thing that is favoring the Eagles is their hometown. The Philly fans are notoriously loud and hostile to play in front of. And then there is the weather in Philly, which won't help teams like the Rams, Panthers or Cowboys.
The AFC is a little bit fuzzier. The Chiefs have the league's best record, but their loss to Cincinnati makes me a little nervous. Other than that little hiccup, the Chiefs have been the best team in the league, by far.
Priest Holmes is leading the NFL with 17 touchdowns and is sixth in the league with 1177 yards. With those numbers Holmes should be getting some serious consideration for MVP. Besides Holmes, the Chiefs' most valuable commodity is head coach Dick Vermeil, who led the Rams to their only Super Bowl in 1999. He isn't the flashiest coach around, but he is one of the league's most solid.
Vermeil has the Chiefs D playing at its best and is making excellent use of Trent Green, Tony Gonzalez and Eddie Kennison. Oh, and although he's been so quiet lately, Dante Hall is still one of the most dangerous players in the league.
No team in the AFC has the complete package of offense, defense and special teams like the Chiefs.
So, when the Super Bowl rolls in to Reliant Stadium, the only teams I can see being left are the Chiefs and Eagles, with Kansas City capturing the title.
The Verdict (By UB President William Greiner): It's a tie on the issue of who makes it to the Super Bowl. (Jim) Byrne has it right on the AFC side, but I think he's reaching on the NFC. The Rams are a default choice, at best.
(John) Norman gets my nod re: the NFC. How can you not like a team and a quarterback that Rush Limbaugh insulted? Donovan McNabb is a superior athlete. His supporting cast is strong and balanced, and the coaching in Philadelphia has been very good.
What's the tiebreaker? Bill Belichick. The best coach in football, for some time now; an astute judge of personnel; and also an alumnus of my alma mater. Byrne wins my vote based on the Bill Belichick factor.
Victor and Fall Champion: Jim Byrne
