Congratulations to Tony T. After 17 weeks of mediocrity during the regular season he pulled it together enough during the 10 playoff games held so far to pull off the win in the postseason. Way to go.

And he was the only one to not foolishly bet against Bill Belichick last week, which admittedly counts for something.

He’d have pulled off a perfect Championship Weekend, if not for some of the worst officiating in the history of the NFL.

So, here we are. Super Bowl Sunday. The old school Patriots versus the young buck Rams. Who goes home with the Lombardi (will it be renamed after Belichick upon his retirement?) Trophy this year?

Andy: 

I’ve heard a few theories on this game. My favorite is that the NFL wants the Rams to win to spur interest in the team’s 100,000-seat mega-Stadium. Here’s my own take: The Patriots have been great for nearly 20 years now. It all started with the 2001 upset over the Rams. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have helped a couple generations of Patriots not only get Super Bowl rings, but in many cases, stay in the league far longer than their talents truly warranted.

But Father Time catches up with everyone eventually.

It’s better than 50-50 — probably closer to 80-20 — that Rob Gronkowski is playing the last game of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Three-quarters of the Patriots’ secondary is past 30. Julian Edelman is 32. Stephen Gostkowski is 34 and Brady is 41.

Plus, factor in the pissed-off-ness Belichick had over trading Jimmy Garoppolo last season and the issues of the last couple years between Brady, Belichick and TB12’s personal trainer … This run is going to end sometime. I predict it ends Sunday.

The Rams are the young, fresh, hot new thing in the NFL. Essentially, they are playing the Patriots role from 2001. They are the upstart this time. But the ending will be different. Brady and Belichick smell the end coming. The desperation will be high. The Bradriots will come out frothing with the desire to go out on top. The Patriots win, 38-20. Then a bunch of them ride off into the sunset together.

Tony:

Regular season for show, post season for dough, right?

I’ve probably paid less attention to the lead up to this year’s Super Bowl than any in the last 20 years, including even last year’s game that I desperately tried to boycott (in the end, drinking beer at the neighbor’s house won out).  So what to expect?

Well, as much as I’d like to, I don’t think I’m picking against Belichick this time either.  Riding the disbelief in him and the Patriots is what got me here in the playoff picking, so why start picking against him now? I don’t see a Malcolm Butler happening this year–still something that seems to be overlooked in last year’s win (unless that’s been some of the coverage I’ve just missed).

As much as people rave about Todd McVay and the Rams offense, they haven’t looked nearly as dynamic the last 2 months–while the Patriots just keep doing what they do…mixing things up, using guys who played basically no role the previous game in ways that are unexpected, and winning the games that matter. The biggest difference between this year and last year is, I think this year the Patriots can impose their will in the run game–Sony Michel being the best back the Patriots have had since…Corey Dillon? That means the Rams will have to be nearly perfect–and I don’t think they’re up to that task.

I think it will be closer than Andy–but I think the Patriots win 31-23.

I also don’t think (for the first time in a couple years) that a win means that Belichick and Brady retire–I think Gronk might be done either way, but I think Belichick and Brady might be in a battle to see who

Tony P.:

No official guess, just hoping the Rams win 44-20.

I