Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Jan. 20, 2005, edition 1 / Page 21
Part of Elon University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Pendulum THE PENDULUM Youthful exuberance Young women's basketball hoping to build on overtime victory. See story p. 22 Thursday, January 20, 2005 Page 21 Injury Depleted Men's basketball tries to right itself, earn first conference victory. See story p. 23 m Week'^ And then there were four ... New England Patriots could extend modern-day dynasty Saturday Women's basketb.ill \s. Apjialachian State, 4:30 p.m. Men's basketball vs, Georgia Southern, 7 p.m. ' Sunday No games scheduled. Monday Men's basketball @ Furman, 7 p.m. Tuesday No games scheduled. Wednesday Women's basketball vs. Longwood, noon Mike Demos Mason honored Bi^ndon - Mason, center for theElon University football team, continued to rack swards and recognition well after the ^3son’s end. So far this offseason, Mason been named to the "ESPN The ^agazine Academic All America First ®am» Seventh Annual Division I-AA Ubieties Directors Association Academic Team, 2004 >^HegeSportsReRort.com First Team All- ^erica and the 40-player 2004 I-AA.org «^!!::Star football team Demos Columnist On Sunday, both conferences in the NFL will conduct their yearly title games with the ultimate prize to the respective victors being an all expenses paid trip to Jacksonville, Fla., for a chance to play in, and possibly win. Super Bowl XXXIX. In the AFC, an intriguing rematch, as the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots trav el to (Teresa) Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to play the Steelers. The Patriots and Steelers have played twice in the new stadium, with each team eaming a win. In 2001, the heavily favored Steelers hosted the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game only to lose to backup quarterback Drew Bledsoe who filled in most of the game for the injured Tom Brady and led the Pats on their game winning touchdown drive, his last as a member of the Patriots. The Patriots went on to play in Super Bowl XXXVI, where they defeated the St. Louis Rams for their first NFL Championship. Then this season, the Patriots took an NFL record 21-game win streak into Heinz Field on Halloween night only to be outmatched and outplayed by the healthier Steelers, 34-20. This game will have historic implications as well, as two of the AFC’s most successful franchises over the past 10 seasons match up on the gridiron. For Bill Cowher and the Steelers, this will be their fifth AFC tide game in the last 10 seasons, most of any team in the NFL. However, like their cross-state rival the Eagles, the Steelers have stmggled in these ■games.’ All five games have been in Pittsburgh, all five times Pittsburgh has been favored, but they have only advanced to the Super Bowl once in that time. Sunday will be another chance for redemption for Cowher, the NFL’s current longest-tenured head coach. For Bill Belichick and the Patriots, this will be their third AFC Championship game in four years, and fourth in the last 10, the second most in the NFL in that time to the Steelers. The Patriots have maintained all along over this tremendous four-year run (in which they’ve posted an NFL best 55-16 overall record including the playoffs) the mindset of an underdog, letting the other teams talk a big game and the national media not give them the credit they deserve. Coming into this game, both teams are fairly even and both sport the two best reconds in the league, with Pittsbuigh winning their last 15 games under the direction of rookie phenom Ben Roethlisbeiger. However the Steelere showed some kinks in the armor against the Jets, and if not for two missed late field goals by kicker Doug Brien, the Jets may have been watching this game from their homes. Meanwhile the Patriots are coming off an emotional high. Everyone across the country had finally written them off against the unstoppable Colts offense, then the Pats defense, with a little help from tlie New England weather, held one of the greatest offenses of all time to a mere three points. More impressive was that the Patriots did it all with a secondary anchored by a converted wide receiver and an undrafted rookie. The Patriots seem to be the more polished team. Pittsbuigh players have been outspoken all season long, and as history would dictate, that usually comes back to bite a team in the playoffs. Also, you saw what Belichick did against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time last week, so it is hard to think he cannot do the same against a rookie who greatly stmggled in his first playoff game. The Pats want payback for Halloween and payback they will get. Pats win this one going away, 20-16. Now to the NFC where it’s the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles are playing in their fourth straight con ference championship game, one short of the NFL record of five straight held by John Madden’s Raiders back in the 1970s. For the dirty birds (a.k.a. the Falcons) this will be their first championship game since 1998, when they went on the road and upset the Vikings before losing in the Super Bowl to John Elway and the Denver Broncos. In this game, it’s all going to rest on the quarterback’s arms, or quite possibly, the feet. Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb have been two of the most mobile quarterbacks in NFL history and whoever has more yards on the ground could very well be the winner. Last KRT Campus Patriots coach Bill Belichicl, above, will iooia to hoist another Super Bowl trophy in Jacksonville. week Vick ran for an unbelievable 119 yards on the ground, a playoff record for a quarter back. It broke the previous record set last year by none other then McNabb. The the Falcons, which used the combina tion of D-V-D (Dunn-Vick-DucketO, obliter ated a porous Rams defense. Against Ed Donatell’s revamped Atlanta defense, the dink and dunks to Brian Westbrook won’t be enough for the Eagles sans Terrell Owens. For the fourth yeiir in a row, Philly will go home in shock. The Buft'alo Eagles, err, I mean Philadelphia, drop this one, 24-17. So that sets up a New England-Atlanta Super Bowl. This one will be a one-sided affair. The Falcons will need to take advantage of the Patriots depleted secondary, but the one dimensional Falcons will try iind run, run, run, which suits the Patriots defense. Pats win their third Super Bowl in four years and achieve modem day dynasty status, 31-13. Contact Mike Demos at pendulum®elon edu or 278-7247.
Elon University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 20, 2005, edition 1
21
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75