Back to the Basics

Originally posted on "Is It Sports?" by Steve. I kind of forgot how much Kevin was involved in the early days of the site. He's a fellow 49ers fan that grew up in Hawaii, and somehow decided to go to Purdue with us. He was right about Indy getting the Super Bowl, and I ended up going to the bars in Royal Oak a few times around the Super Bowl and it definitely was a pretty good time (too bad the game wasn't all that good). This might be one of the only WNBA discussions ever. My Microsoft Paint doctored WNBA picture is surprisingly good. I wrote all the comments (in black

Much like our very first post after the Orange Bowl, Kevin and I had a long winded conversation about "Super" Bowl XXXIX and other things. Here are some excerpts with my comments. - Steve

Steve: yeah I guess it was close
Steve: it wasn't all that exciting though
Kevin: no but it wasnt a blowout, it felt like one with how the eagles acted like they didnt care
Steve: well they at least covered the spread
Kevin: ya
Steve: that was just a weird game
Steve: and I don't think it was because I was drinking during it
Kevin: no i wasnt drinking and i was confused
Kevin: we need a post about the wierdness of that game
Steve: how late in the game was it tied for?
Kevin: Ive been more excited watching a JV football game
Kevin: begining of the 4th quarter
Kevin: it was the first super bowl tied after the 3rd
Steve: ever?
Kevin: yup
Steve: wow
Steve: sure didn't seem that way
Steve: no one will be talking about this one as a classic
Kevin: yeah I know

Now, only 1 week later, I can honestly tell you that I remember basically nothing about this game, except for the stories about McNabb almost puking from eating all the chunky soup before the game. Even though it was so close after all, the outcome never seemed to be a question. Last time we talked about how Brady is no Joe Montana, but McNabb in those last 2 possessions proved that he's no Scott Zolak.

Kevin: I need to buy the super bowl dvds and we need to watch all 5 49ers super bowls in a row
Steve: yeah
Steve: it can be a little depressing though
Steve: "they almost lost to the Bengals twice?!?!"
Kevin: haha but they won good sir
Kevin: hey the Bengals were good
Kevin: they had the icky shuffle
Kevin: and we get to see them beat up on the broncos, dolphins and chargers
Steve: yeah
Steve: they were killing the Bengals in Super Bowl 16 too but then let them come back to make it close
Kevin: thank god for the goal line stand
Steve: I think it was 20-3 at one point
Kevin: it was 20-0
Steve: yeah that would have been a choke
Kevin: I like how bad the footage looks since they are inside the dome
Kevin: it was so dark
Steve: yeah
Steve: Pontiac Silverdome baby!
Kevin: haha
Kevin: back to detroit
Kevin: i love the indy news with all their commercials during the super bowl: what indianapolis needs to do to get the super bowl
Kevin: its gonna start goin to all these fricken cold weather domes
Steve: I was almost on the floor with laughter
Kevin: i already hate it in the superdome and georgia dome
Kevin: they will do it when they get their new stadium and if they can get enough hotel rooms
Steve: Detroit is 5 times the size of Indy
Steve: ...that's why they're getting it
Kevin: yeah but i still think Indys gonan get it
Steve: I don't think they will
Kevin: they get the final 4 all the time
Steve: this one in Jacksonville was clearly a disaster
Steve: like if Indy's going to get it, why not have it at the AlamoDome in San Antonio?

I think sometime in the future, people will look back and be like....where is Jacksonville and why was there a Super Bowl there? (after the Jaguars most likely move away one day). I've been to Jacksonville 4 times, and there's really nothing to do there besides go to the beach or golf. The city is extremely spread out, and the population mostly consists of retirees that like golf a lot. A lot of restaurants close ridiculously early for this reason. With tons of visitors coming from usually northern cities to cheer on their team that they are diehard fans of, the city that hosts the Super Bowl needs 2 things, with one being much important than the other: 1. Have lots of places to drink/party and 2. Be Warm. More on this below...

Kevin: vegas needs to build a stadium and start hositng the super bowl
Steve: oh yeah without a doubt
Steve: I loved the Sports Guy's idea on ESPN.com
Steve: he said Vegas builds a stadium and hosts it every other year, and on the alternate years it would be a rotation between San Diego, New Orleans, and Miami
Kevin: haha nice
Kevin: i like it being in different places though
Kevin: one place every other year is too boring
Steve: Vegas would kick ass though
Steve: if they send him again next year, i was trying to imagine how he might complain
Steve: Detroit is cold and run down for starters
Kevin: haha yup
Steve: but....they have 5 good bar districts and casinos
Kevin: yea
Kevin: you know about the bar districts?
Steve: oh yeah
Steve: I made sure I visited them all
Steve: I'm counting Ann Arbor, which is kind of a stretch
Kevin: oh yeah
Steve: Ann Arbor (rich, sitting around)
Steve: Birmingham (ridiculously rich)
Steve: Pontiac (borderline ghetto)
Steve: Royal Oak (most like Purdue, but kind of rich)
Steve: Windsor (insane)
Kevin: if chicago just put a roof over soilder field
Kevin: they could get the super bowl
Steve: it already looks like crap
Steve: might as well
Kevin: haha complete the spaseship
Steve: then it will be ready for lauch
Kevin: they are crazy for renovating it that way
Kevin: fits right in with millenium park

I'm really interested to see how Detroit will handle Super Bowl XL (yes, America will learn that L is 50 in Roman Numerals in just a few months), especially since I'll be living there when it all takes place. When they hosted it last time, it was in the Pontiac Silverdome which is in the suburbs of Detroit. It was bitterly cold that week but, as I learned this summer, a pretty nice bar district is right down the street from it. This happened before I was born, so I have no idea what the general opinion of the host city was, but I guess the fact that Detroit last had the Super Bowl before I was born is a good indication. This time, it is going to be held in Ford Field in the heart of a revitalized Detroit. The weird thing is that downtown is still loaded with abandoned buildings that couldn't serve as hotels. Lucky people could stay at the Casino and probably have a great time, but most of the other visitors will have to stay in the suburbs. So that leaves the question of where all the partying is going to be taking place. Royal Oak seems like a likely location, because it is the safest bar district to go to that is closest to the stadium yet still in America, and most of the fans will probably like to stay in the plentiful number of hotels in that upscale northern suburb area. If that's the case, then I'll be looking forward to waking up Eagles fans passed out in the snow on my front lawn each morning. Windsor is the ultimate wild card. It has more bars per square foot than any city in the world, and pretty much everything there is legal, from gambling to prostitution to marijuana to murder (well maybe not murder, but Ray Lewis might want to look into it). Also, since the legal age for everything in Canada is 19, its infested with American 19 and 20 year olds every weekend. Completely wild place that's a blast for all ages. Things may be spread out a little and I'm sure it will be cold, but I think Detroit (and Windsor) has what it takes give the fans a good time.

Kevin: Chicago will have a WNBA team in 2006
Steve: for real?
Steve: no one wants one
Kevin: they are gonna play at the UIC Pavillion
Kevin: thats low
Steve: yeah it is
Steve: what are they going to be called?
Kevin: I have no idea
Kevin: we should vote on names
Kevin: the billy goats?
Steve: haha
Steve: the Cows
Kevin: haha that would be good
Kevin: The Lovabulls
Steve: thats the cheerleaders
Kevin: i know
Kevin: they gotta look somethin like the bulls
Kevin: like red and stuff
Steve: they probably will

The NBA has been trying to force women's basketball on Chicago ever since the WNBA started (and I have no idea when that was), and its just not going to work. You need to have WNBA teams in cities where people are interested in women's college basketball, like in Connecticut or Tennessee. Chicago doesn't have any colleges with good women's teams, so therefore there is little interest in women's basketball. And if you just love basketball in general, you might as well go watch some high school basketball in the South Suburbs. They've produced many top college and NBA stars over the years and are more fun to watch then professional women. I give the Cows 2 years before they move or fold. - Steve