It’s that time of year again, when testosterone levels seem to be at their highest and Lil’ Smokies are consumed in bulk. Super Bowl season. This NFL season has been nothing short of a whirlwind, filled with upsets and rising underdogs, and it has all come down to this; the final two teams. It’s the New England Patriots versus the New York Giants battling it out to be named the World Champions.
All the excitement can be a lot to take in for someone who hasn’t been following this season. If you’re a girl who wants to keep up with the boys leading up to Super Bowl 46, than this is the guide for you. Study it well enough and you’ll be able to impress your class crush with all of your new football knowledge, and who knows, maybe he will even invite you to his Super Bowl party.
This year the Super Bowl will take place at the Indianapolis Colt’s Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5, 2012. Madonna is the halftime entertainment this year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that she doesn’t pull a Janet Jackson.
Let’s get started with the contenders. For the American Football Conference (AFC) the New England Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 at the Patriots home field of Gillette Stadium. On the same day, the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers will be competing for the National Football Conference’s (NFC) spot in San Francisco.
Next, let’s fill you in on what you should know about each team.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have made an appearance in the Super Bowl six times and have won three of them. Their last appearance was against in 2008 when they lost to the New York Giants, and their last wins were Super Bowls 38 and 39. Their overall record is currently 14-3, one of the best in the league. The Patriots are known for their star offence led by quarterback, Tom Brady, and are generally a passing team.
Names you should know:
Bill Belichick– The head coach of the Patriots for the past eleven years and is known for his cutoff sweatshirt look that he always is rocking on the sidelines, maybe if he posts the look on Pinterest it will become a new trend.
Tom Brady– He’s as amazing at football as his wife Giselle Bundchen is at being a supermodel, the best of the best. Brady is often considered the “Cinderella Story” of the NFL because of the fact that he began his career at the University of Michigan as the seventh-string quarterback and was the 199th pick in the NFL Draft…sad! Don’t feel too bad for Tommy though because he was the youngest person to win three Super Bowls (at the age of 28), has been the Super Bowl MVP twice and holds numerous NFL records, not to mention he is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of all-time and arguably one of the hottest!
Rob Gronkowski– At 6’ 6”, 265 pounds, this tight end is hard to miss. The 22 year-old has had a record setting season with 1,327 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches. Just think of him as the Robin to Tom Brady’s Batman.
Wes Welker– Welker also dominates the team in receiving yards as the teams wide receiver, there’s not really much else to say about him other than that he’s really good. Look for him on Super Bowl Sunday catching Tom Brady’s ridiculously long and accurate passes.
Jeff Tarpinian– This linebacker is the lone Iowa alum on the Patriots’ team. He hasn’t seen much playing time during his rookie year but he gets a shout out anyways for representing the Hawkeyes.
New York Giants
After loosing four games in a row during the regular season, most people lost hope in the Giants this season. All that changed when they beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in overtime at the NFC Championship Game. This will be the Giant’s fifth Super Bowl appearance since they played the Patriots at Super Bowl 42. The Giants record is currently 9-7.
Names you should know:
Eli Manning– He’s the little brother of the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning and ranked second only to Tom Brady in the passer ratings. He definitely is beginning to emerge from his brothers shadow with the great stats he’s posted so far this season. E. Manning has completed 29 touchdown passes this season and has thrown for 4,933 yards.
Victor Cruz– Cruz basically carried the Giants the entire first half of their game against the 49ers with his eight receptions that earned a total of 125 yards. This wide receiver also was a key element in setting up the last play of the game that sent them to the Super Bowl. Cruz has been a big assent to the Giants this season with nine touchdowns and 1,536 yards.
Lawrence Tynes– The Giants can thank this kicker for their Super Bowl berth for a second time after he kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime against the 49ers to seal the deal. The Scottish kicker made 23 of 30 field goal attempts with the last one being one of the most important of his career so far.
Tyler Sash– Sash is probably one of the better-known former Hawkeyes in the NFL. The rookie has seen quite a bit of playing time for the Giants this season with 17 tackles and two forced fumbles. He likely will get to play in the big game on Feb. 5.
It’s exciting to know that a former Hawkeye will be a Super Bowl Champion no matter which team wins the game this year. Even if you are just watching for the commercials you now know a little big about each team and their key players. Football really isn’t that complicated of a sport to understand and it is super fun to watch either way!
Sources:
www.espn.com
www.bigblueview.com