With just this weekend's game (and perhaps the Super Bowl) yet to come, I wonder if anyone shares a feeling I have regarding these two games:

My thought is this....I'm much more excited about this weekend's game than any Super Bowl.

Competition notwithstanding, I have gotten to a point where the Super Bowl strikes me as just way too much hype, way too much promotion, way too much advertising, and seems to have ceased being about the game and now seems to be more about the "event".

I HATE the Super Bowl half time shows (much too long, much too "Hollywood" for my liking) and the football game itself just seems like it becomes increasingly secondary to all the other stuff.

So for me, this weekend represents a better football environment, and I'm likely to enjoy this weekend more than the Super Bowl.

Anyone feel even close to how I do?

I do. There are two games instead of one and incidentally the two best teams in each league. The Super Bowl is an orgy of merchandising and inane chatter

GB54;842264710 said:

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I do. There are two games instead of one and incidentally the two best teams in each league. The Super Bowl is an orgy of merchandising and inane chatter

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Plus it's two weeks after this weekend until Super Bowl. One extra week of hype too many...

Depends on who is playing. If SF is in the game, I'll watch. Otherwise, I'll find something else to do....

I've always found the conference championship games to be more entertaining than the super bowl. But this year I think the super bowl could be good as well and there have been some good ones recently. I think New England is the week link of the remaining teams. But even if they beat Denver it could still be a good super bowl.

As a 49er fan, I'm very concerned about Sunday's game. It is not the 12th man I 'm concerned about. There is a game plan that will work for the 49ers offense. But Kaep is not the type of QB to execute it. The game plan is to use short passes and a ball control offense that goes underneath the coverage. CK throws too hard and too flat to do that. His throws will get batted down or dropped.

If SF tries to run or throw into deeper coverage, they will turn the ball over and/or go 3 and out.

IOWs the 49ers offensive strengths play into Seattle's defensive strengths too much to be reliable. If Colin and Frank Gore try to do what they have been doing, they will lose. I would like to see them use LaMichael on swing out plays and some 2 TE sets with 6 yard passes underneath to a TE or to Crabtree. Until Kaep learns how to do this and become more effecient against a good pass D, the 49ers will remain one step away from a ring.

I'm not worried about the 49ers D stopping the Seattle O, as long as they don't have to defend a short field after a TO.

Nearly every Super Bowl this century has been pretty exciting. Many of the recent Super Bowls have gone down to the wire.

Remember in the 80s, and even the 90s, when they'd all be blowouts?

Yes, it's going to be different from other games.

It has to attract people who'd normally not give a damn.

And you have to please those people, too, or else you'd lose them and the game becomes a smaller stage and diminished as a common shared cultural event.

By the way, I can't wait to see Macklemore & Lewis perform at halftime of the 49ers-Seahawks game.


EDIT: I'm not disagreeing with you that the championship games will probably be more exciting than the Super Bowl. NFL experts have been calling this the best championship weekend in many years. Plus, as noted above, you get 2 games.

heartofthebear;842264752 said:

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I've always found the conference championship games to be more entertaining than the super bowl. But this year I think the super bowl could be good as well and there have been some good ones recently.

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There are a lot of interesting storylines:

Seahawks vs. Patriots: Pete Carroll vs. the guy who replaced him

49ers vs. Broncos: Jim Harbaugh vs. the guy who replaced him.

Seahawks vs. Broncos: A rarity -- a battle of 2 No. 1 seeds.

49ers vs. Patriots: Harbaugh vs. Belichick in a rematch of that epic game from last season.

I feel like when SEC fans say their conference championship game was the real National Championship. SF v SEA.

heartofthebear;842264752 said:

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I've always found the conference championship games to be more entertaining than the super bowl. But this year I think the super bowl could be good as well and there have been some good ones recently. I think New England is the week link of the remaining teams. But even if they beat Denver it could still be a good super bowl.

As a 49er fan, I'm very concerned about Sunday's game. It is not the 12th man I 'm concerned about. There is a game plan that will work for the 49ers offense. But Kaep is not the type of QB to execute it. The game plan is to use short passes and a ball control offense that goes underneath the coverage. CK throws too hard and too flat to do that. His throws will get batted down or dropped.

If SF tries to run or throw into deeper coverage, they will turn the ball over and/or go 3 and out.

IOWs the 49ers offensive strengths play into Seattle's defensive strengths too much to be reliable. If Colin and Frank Gore try to do what they have been doing, they will lose. I would like to see them use LaMichael on swing out plays and some 2 TE sets with 6 yard passes underneath to a TE or to Crabtree. Until Kaep learns how to do this and become more effecient against a good pass D, the 49ers will remain one step away from a ring.

I'm not worried about the 49ers D stopping the Seattle O, as long as they don't have to defend a short field after a TO.

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Totally agree. Kaep is overrated and will likely be inept Sunday

The 49ers against the Seahawks? I am not sure if it gets any better than that...

TomBear;842264708 said:

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With just this weekend's game (and perhaps the Super Bowl) yet to come, I wonder if anyone shares a feeling I have regarding these two games:

My thought is this....I'm much more excited about this weekend's game than any Super Bowl.

Competition notwithstanding, I have gotten to a point where the Super Bowl strikes me as just way too much hype, way too much promotion, way too much advertising, and seems to have ceased being about the game and now seems to be more about the "event".

I HATE the Super Bowl half time shows (much too long, much too "Hollywood" for my liking) and the football game itself just seems like it becomes increasingly secondary to all the other stuff.

So for me, this weekend represents a better football environment, and I'm likely to enjoy this weekend more than the Super Bowl.

Anyone feel even close to how I do?

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This is last weekend of football season. Superbowl is advertisement focus group week.

SB may be good, and of course if your team is in you care, but here are some questions that help answer yours:
1. Is this the first game this year the people you are watching it with have seen?
2. Can they name more players on the teams than, "Isn'tthat one Tom Brady?"
3. Are the game promos focused on who is playing at halftime?
4. Is the pregame show longer than the game?
5. Are there more fans wearing corporate logo gear than team gear?
6. Will TMZ or Perez Hilton have an article on some aspect of it?
7. Will women's mags be telling you what to cook for it, including Martha Stewart's team mascot place settings. ( they're a GOOD thing.
And
8. Will people the next day be talking about the game, or "What was your favorite ad???"

biely medved;842264858 said:

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6. Will TMZ or Perez Hilton have an article on some aspect of it?

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FYI: TMZ has a dedicated sports department (TMZ Sports) that regularly breaks NFL news.

In the past 12 hours or so, they broke the news on the Geno Smith plane disruption and the arrest of Super Bowl champion/NFL Network star Darren Sharper for rape.

TMZ was also first to report that Junior Seau committed suicide, and followed that up with widespread coverage.

Can't disagree about the hype largely ruining the Super Bowl experience for me but I'll do my best to ignore it over the next 2 weeks and still watch the game. For that matter, being in the Seattle area, the lead-up to this weekend has also been a bit over the top. What a waste of newsprint/bandwidth!

okaydo;842264887 said:

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FYI: TMZ has a dedicated sports department (TMZ Sports) that regularly breaks NFL news.

In the past 12 hours or so, they broke the news on the Geno Smith plane disruption and the arrest of Super Bowl champion/NFL Network star Darren Sharper for rape.

TMZ was also first to report that Junior Seau committed suicide, and followed that up with widespread coverage.

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This isn't Nfl news. This is news about celebrities in/ related to the NFL. Thats the point of the critique. Point proven.

biely medved;842264945 said:

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This isn't Nfl news. This is news about celebrities in/ related to the NFL. Thats the point of the critique. Point proven.

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If it affects the NFL, it's NFL News.

This has been the case more often than not in the last thirty years of the Super Bowl era. And very often the game with the more compelling matchup is in the conference championship round, most often the NFC game as opposed to the AFC game.

No different this year, really.

I agree 100%

heartofthebear;842264752 said:

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I've always found the conference championship games to be more entertaining than the super bowl. But this year I think the super bowl could be good as well and there have been some good ones recently. I think New England is the week link of the remaining teams. But even if they beat Denver it could still be a good super bowl.

As a 49er fan, I'm very concerned about Sunday's game. It is not the 12th man I 'm concerned about. There is a game plan that will work for the 49ers offense. But Kaep is not the type of QB to execute it. The game plan is to use short passes and a ball control offense that goes underneath the coverage. CK throws too hard and too flat to do that. His throws will get batted down or dropped.

If SF tries to run or throw into deeper coverage, they will turn the ball over and/or go 3 and out.

IOWs the 49ers offensive strengths play into Seattle's defensive strengths too much to be reliable. If Colin and Frank Gore try to do what they have been doing, they will lose. I would like to see them use LaMichael on swing out plays and some 2 TE sets with 6 yard passes underneath to a TE or to Crabtree. Until Kaep learns how to do this and become more effecient against a good pass D, the 49ers will remain one step away from a ring.

I'm not worried about the 49ers D stopping the Seattle O, as long as they don't have to defend a short field after a TO.

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Honestly? I think this is wrong. The way to beat the Seattle D is to run on them. If you look at the games they have lost (or come close to losing) you almost always see the opposing team having a nice day on the ground. And these were close games, not blowouts where a team pads their rushing stats by running the clock out late; they legitimately gashed the Seahawks on the ground.

The Saints tried to pass on them in the regular season and got smoked. In the playoffs they went to a more run-heavy approach and kept the game close all the way. Similar difference in their two games against the 49ers. The Seahawks have the league's best secondary and their front four are built on speed -- ideal for rushing the passer, but they can be out-muscled. The 49ers will need to have a good running day to have a hope of winning. If Kaepernick is forced to drop back and throw a lot they are in trouble. And that's not just because of Kap -- it's because the Seattle defense feasts on passes.

TomBear;842264708 said:

---

With just this weekend's game (and perhaps the Super Bowl) yet to come, I wonder if anyone shares a feeling I have regarding these two games:

My thought is this....I'm much more excited about this weekend's game than any Super Bowl.

Competition notwithstanding, I have gotten to a point where the Super Bowl strikes me as just way too much hype, way too much promotion, way too much advertising, and seems to have ceased being about the game and now seems to be more about the "event".

I HATE the Super Bowl half time shows (much too long, much too "Hollywood" for my liking) and the football game itself just seems like it becomes increasingly secondary to all the other stuff.

So for me, this weekend represents a better football environment, and I'm likely to enjoy this weekend more than the Super Bowl.

Anyone feel even close to how I do?

---

Watching the 49ers and Seahawks will be the first (1st) pro game I've watched this season ... and looking to see Marshawn's BeastMode displays.
Super Bowl is boring and tedious ... great for those who love hype and commercials, though.

Kaep will get dominated today. He's gonna have to make plays consistently. He's inaccurate, can't throw into tight spaces

sycasey;842265042 said:

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Honestly? I think this is wrong. The way to beat the Seattle D is to run on them. If you look at the games they have lost (or come close to losing) you almost always see the opposing team having a nice day on the ground. And these were close games, not blowouts where a team pads their rushing stats by running the clock out late; they legitimately gashed the Seahawks on the ground.

The Saints tried to pass on them in the regular season and got smoked. In the playoffs they went to a more run-heavy approach and kept the game close all the way. Similar difference in their two games against the 49ers. The Seahawks have the league's best secondary and their front four are built on speed -- ideal for rushing the passer, but they can be out-muscled. The 49ers will need to have a good running day to have a hope of winning. If Kaepernick is forced to drop back and throw a lot they are in trouble. And that's not just because of Kap -- it's because the Seattle defense feasts on passes.

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Seattle will be very focused on stopping Gore first and foremost, knowing that their DBs can cover man-to-man. I'm hoping SF neither runs first nor throws into DB territory. They need to use short ball control passes underneath against their LBs. But I don't think they will.

SF has not been very successful running Gore in Seattle.