By Julie Buehler
I’ve got my bags packed and ticket punched for the celebration of Super Bowl XLVIII in New York City and I’m happy to report that the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are both joining me (or something like that).
The Broncos beat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game and the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC title.
The 49ers and Patriots had each been to 3 straight conference championship games while the Broncos and Seahawks hadn’t reached that point since 2005.
But that’s where the similarities between the two victorious teams end. Because Super Bowl XLVIII will be a battle of polar opposites and the NFL couldn’t ask for a juicier matchup.
Peyton Manning. Peyton Freaking Manning.
He’ll be the 2nd oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history, taking on Seattle’s 2nd year quarterback in Russell Wilson. Wilson was celebrating his 10th birthday on November 29th, 1998 while Manning was going 27 of 42 for 357 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception as part of a 31-38 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in week 13 of his rookie season. Wilson was likely noshing on some cake, worried about which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle he’d unwrap. Manning was chewing up defenses and worried about trying to wrap up his 3rd win of the season.
Broncos’ 12-time Pro Bowl defensive back, Champ Bailey, entered in the league in 1999 as a first round draft pick. Now in his 15th year in the league, he’ll be juxtaposed against a Seattle secondary whose 4 starters combine for 14 years NFL experience.
The most notable and vocal of the bunch, Richard Sherman, has been playing professional football for 3 years, but he talks like he’s won 3 rings.
He’s brash and confident and pugnacious and takes shot at his opponents and has a pension for making the biggest play when the lights are the brightest this year.
But about the time he was getting his driver’s license, Bailey was getting traded from the Washington Redskins in one of the NFL’s most shocking trades. Both players are in their first Super Bowl.
The Broncos are full of veterans, from linebacker Shaun Phillips, who came from divisional foe, the San Diego Chargers and has been a key addition to the Broncos defense, to Manning and Bailey and receiver Wes Welker, the Broncos have been built through free agent acquisitions and bring together experienced players who have done something no other team has ever done in scoring 606 points in one season.
The Seahawks have drafted most of their star players and built a physical defense that plays with a chip the size of a Rocky Mountain.
It’s the top ranked defense against a historically prolific offense. It’s a group of veterans who came together and work flawlessly against a group of kids who don’t know anything different from playing with the guys they’re playing with.
Leading up to the Super Bowl, every story will be unearthed about the drive, mentality and fortitude of each team and how they got to the pinnacle of their sport, and you can believe I’ll be there doing the same.
Because regardless of who your team is or who you’re rooting for, this Super Bowl is going to be one for the Ages, as well as one for the Aged.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010.com or watch the show on Ustream.
