37?: As the world now knows, Super Bowl XXXVII is all set, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will do battle with the Oakland Raiders. I was rooting for the Eagles in the NFC title game, I'd like to make clear, but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be, and therefore there will only be one army of scary, drunken, very hostile fans in San Diego for the big game, not two.
So we've got all the stories that can be expected- Bucs coach Jon Gruden going head to head with his old team, as well as his protege, Bill Callahan! The long-suffering Bucs, in their first Super Bowl ever! Proof/dis-proof of the NFL's longstanding "conspiracy" against Al Davis! Two ex-Vikings QBs doing battle (Gannon and Johnson)- both of whom have battled for QB jobs in recent years with another ex-Vike, Jeff George!
I must say I'll be rooting for the Bucs, because I am an NFC guy, I like Gruden (though I concede he's likely to drop dead of a heart attack by the time he's 50), the Bucs have the best uniforms in the league by far, I like the underdog, and they have generally likable players, with the exception of the loathsome Keyshawn Johnson. I'm pulling for Tampa, but don't construe that as a prediction...
But I can predict this: after the best halftime show in Super Bowl history last year, this year's (featuring Shania Twain) will suck by comparison.