2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Playoffs? You kidding me?
Ryan Hecht
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: Sports
The beginning of the year is the best season for sports in America. College football bowl games are finishing up. College hoops are gearing up for conference play. The NHL and NBA are approaching the mid-season. NASCAR is not on "SportsCenter." Most everybody who cares about sports loves January. That is, except for Jim Mora.
A former NFL coach who is better known for his actions after games than during them, Jim Mora has to hate the NFL playoffs. After a loss in 2001 while coaching the Indianapolis Colts, Mora was asked about his team's chances of playing after the regular season and famously shrieked, "Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope to win a game!" Ever since then, frat boys and radio personalities have imitated Mora whenever the word "playoffs" is used. Mora probably has nightmares of the word "playoffs."
Ironically, Mora is now working for NFL Network as an analyst covering the playoffs. Whether or not Mora really cares, at press time there are seven teams remaining in the playoffs, just hoping to "win a game" and, ultimately the "Big Game." Here are each team's chances of winning the Super Bowl, ranked from "most likely" to "potential Disney movie":
1. New England Patriots: Obviously a great year for the Pats, going 16-0. I'm not worried about Tom Brady or his excellent receivers. I don't worry about Belichick, who is the best coach in the league. I worry about the Patriot's defense. Their 3-4 base includes aging linebackers who struggle against the run. Their secondary has made several average quarterbacks look great this year. Weather is also an issue. They will play three games in chilly Foxboro in order to get to the Super Bowl. If it's too cold, or snowy, their offense will rely more on the run, which has been average all year. Likewise they will need to stop the run, which is their Achilles heel on defense. The Patriots should win their fourth championship in seven years, but they aren't as invincible as their record indicates.
A former NFL coach who is better known for his actions after games than during them, Jim Mora has to hate the NFL playoffs. After a loss in 2001 while coaching the Indianapolis Colts, Mora was asked about his team's chances of playing after the regular season and famously shrieked, "Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope to win a game!" Ever since then, frat boys and radio personalities have imitated Mora whenever the word "playoffs" is used. Mora probably has nightmares of the word "playoffs."
Ironically, Mora is now working for NFL Network as an analyst covering the playoffs. Whether or not Mora really cares, at press time there are seven teams remaining in the playoffs, just hoping to "win a game" and, ultimately the "Big Game." Here are each team's chances of winning the Super Bowl, ranked from "most likely" to "potential Disney movie":
1. New England Patriots: Obviously a great year for the Pats, going 16-0. I'm not worried about Tom Brady or his excellent receivers. I don't worry about Belichick, who is the best coach in the league. I worry about the Patriot's defense. Their 3-4 base includes aging linebackers who struggle against the run. Their secondary has made several average quarterbacks look great this year. Weather is also an issue. They will play three games in chilly Foxboro in order to get to the Super Bowl. If it's too cold, or snowy, their offense will rely more on the run, which has been average all year. Likewise they will need to stop the run, which is their Achilles heel on defense. The Patriots should win their fourth championship in seven years, but they aren't as invincible as their record indicates.
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