$50 on the Packers for Superbowl Champs

First, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon. I don't bleed green and gold...I am not a cheese head...and the Packers were my second choice (barely) for taking everything.

But I hold familial ties to at least two parts of our nation, and I have adopted their respective teams as my own, handed down from my Dad. I am a Redskins fan, and a Packers fan, and after that, as my Dad always says, I am a fan of anyone playing against Dallas. I hate Dallas.

The honest truth is that as a Skins fan, I have had very little to yell about since 1991. The mid-late 90's were good to fans of the Pack, and I am overjoyed that my favorite player in the NFL has weathered the years to return to the NFC championship game, and stands a real shot of playing in the Superbowl in the twilight of his fantastic career.

In fact, Farve is the reason I am seriously considering placing a bet on the Packers, once they overcome the Giants. I believe, in the wake of a fantastic game against the Seahawks, the Packers have the momentum to smother their NFC competition, and that they have the heart that will be the only thing that could possibly play spoiler to the perfect Patriots.

The match-up reminds me a lot of the second time Farve led the Packers to the Superbowl in 1998. They were the better team, and everyone expected them to destroy the Bronco's...but strange things can happen when the game is that important and you have as prolific a quarterback on the field as Elway. The Bronco's played their best game all season, the Pack their worst, and Elway got his ring.

I don't know if there is a wrench made that could prevent the machine-like Patriots from sweeping everyone and every record with their march to the Superbowl...but my guess is that if there's a chance, it resides in the heart and arm of Brett Farve. He moves his team, and better teams have failed when confronted with a team that rallies to a leader with heart and a genuine obvious love of the game.

Obviously I'm just a pleased spectator. If the Pack don't make it past the Giants, I'll cheer for the Pats to break all records ever...but I would love to see a truly great athlete get the laurels one last time.