February 2, 2014: Superbowl Extra Large 8! My prediction! And admonishment! Our Stargate Atlantis Rewatch continues with Rising II!
Who is going to win Superbowl XLVIII (a.k.a. Superbowl Extra Large 8)? Got your pick? Well, so does Madden 25, EA’s football-based video game that predicts the Broncos beating Seahawks in overtime, 31-28:
So what? So what if a computer simulation says the Denver Broncos will be hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy in New York this Sunday (or maybe some other day, depending on the weather?). Well, perhaps for no other reason than the fact that this particular video game has correctly called the winner of eight of the last ten Superbowls. As any compulsive gambler will tell, that’s mighty impressive.
But before you Broncos fan start celebrating the early victory, it seems like another, equally efficient, computer simulation has picked the Seahawks to beat the Broncos 24-21:
COMPUTER: Seahawks will Beat Broncos 24-21…
So what? So what if some OTHER computer says the Seattle Seahawks will be the ones making Disney World plans on Sunday given that Madden NFL Football has an 80% accuracy rate in predicting Superbowl Winners since it started running its annual simulations? Well, because the Prediction Machine’s Predictalator ran over 50 000 simulations of the game which saw the Seahawks win 54.8% of the time to the Broncos 45.2% with a most common score of 24-21 Seattle. Also: ““Since Week 2 of the NFL season, the Predictalator’s projected Super Bowl every week was Denver vs. Seattle.”
Also, this ape is picking the Seahawks to win: APE: SEAHAWKS To Win…
So what? It’s just an ape! Well, this ape has correctly predicted the last six Superbowl winners.
Whichever way this game goes, there’s no denying that Superbowl Extra Large 8 pits the two best teams in the National Football League (Sorry, 49er fan), the first time this has happened in recent memory. It’s the high-flying offensively minded Denver Broncos versus the tenacious defensive-minded Seattle Seahawks! Who’ll come out on top?
Well, to be honest, despite the fact that these ARE the two best teams in the NFL meeting in the championship, I don’t have a whole lot of love for either team. Still, it could have been worse. We could have had a Patriots vs. 49ers Superbowl I would have had little or no interesting in watching. No, at the very least, this one offers a terrific match-up with plenty of drama, both on and off the field. Which is why I’ll be going with…
The Seattle Seahawks. Why? Mainly because I was so annoyed by the self-righteous indignation that followed cornerback Richard Sherman’s post-game interview after Seattle’s victory over San Francisco I feel it only right the Seahawks should win. Yes, I’m not so much rooting for the Seahawks as I am rooting against everyone who expressed dismay because their feelings were hurt by what Sherman said after the NFC Championship game. ”That player was so mean to that other player. I hope he loses!”. Really? Is this your first time watching professional sports? Do you imagine the pleasantries exchanged between opposing players during the heat of the game running something like this:
Crabtree: I say, old boy. Do you mind if I race by you enroute to a touchdown?
Sherman: Apologies, my good man. I simply cannot allow it.
Crabtree: I’m afraid I’ll have to insist.
Sherman: It just won’t do.
Crabtree: I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Sherman: Alrighty then. Best of luck to you.
Crabtree: And you, sir.
If so, you have every right to be upset. But no right to watch professional sports ever again. Your football-viewing privileges have been revoked. This Sunday, kindly busy yourselves with alternate pursuits like purchasing new throw pillows for the guest bedroom or penning a firm but polite letter to the editor objecting to his use of the word “hell” in a non-religious context.
Anyway, I’m sure it’ll be a close game, but you know what they say: “Offense wins game, but defense wins championships”. And Seattle has the better D.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 34 DENVER BRONCOS 24
Continuing our Stargate: Atlantis rewatch. Akemi’s thoughts on Rising II…
After viewing Rising II, I can say that she is definitely warming up to the show. Well, maybe “warming up” is not the right term. More “thawing out”. The show’s dated elements (she keeps referring to “hairstyles and fashion” which, I suspect, actually means “Weir’s hairstyle and fashion”) are clearly the biggest stumbling block to her enjoyment. Still, she is enjoying “the computer graphics” which still stand up for the most part.
She enjoyed the second half of the two-part opener more than the first and was surprised by Sumner’s death: “I was surprised the fact Colonel Sanders died so quickly. I thought Colonel very important position.” Fear not. Plenty more where he came from.
On the other characters…
Beckett: “I like Beckett. I find very cute.”
McKay, who she actually cited as one of her favorites by episode’s end: “Always complaining, like Italian-Canadian people. But I like it.”
Teyla: “She looks like Beyonce.”
Ford: “Not sure about lieutenant Ford. Good.”
Weir: “She looks just so old-fashioned for me.”
Sheppard: “He is cool, but I don’t know. I liked Eli a lot. Eli is more likeable. I don’t like super strong main character.”
Overall: “This [show] is more easier to predict what happens. SGU is more surprising. But so far, just two episodes.”
For my part, I quite enjoyed my rewatch of Rising II. Loved the city rising up out of the ocean, the puddle jumper vs. dart sequence, the wraith queen’s creepy/dramatic entrance.
A couple of years ago, I offered a little insight into some of the show evolving elements, first introduced in this two parter – among them: wraith mind tricks, wraith killability, and that lovable scamp Jinto…
June 7, 2012: Day of Stargate Past – Atlantis, Rising I and II
Another evolving element was the wraith cells that went from magically retractable doors to the plain rising/falling/sliding doors of later episodes. Why the change? Well, let’s chalk this one up to “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” The retractable, web like doors looked great in the opener but, in hindsight, were an unnecessary expense – a visual effects shot every time the wraith opened and closed a cell! That’s money that could have been put to better use, like, say, a stun blast or extra coconut cake on the lunch truck.
So, what did you all think?
Randomness writes: “In your opinion, why do you think Jack was so eager for John to go to Atlantis? Do you think he saw potential in John or do you think it may also be because he knew John had the ATA gene, and had a somewhat questionable history and thought perhaps with all this combined it was the best choice for him?”
Answer: I think that Jack saw a lot of himself in John Sheppard – brash, a bit of a loose cannon. Perhaps he realized that, by joining the Atlantis expedition, Sheppard would have the opportunity to actualize his potential…much like Jack did after heading up SG-1.
Bailey writes: “ Just a thought, do you think knowing some details about the people behind the scenes from what you have told her has any influence on how she perceives the characters in both SGU and SGA?”
Answer: Do you mean did I tell her about the time Jelly ate Michael Shanks’s tuna sandwich? No. She knows nothing about any of the actors outside of their onscreen personas.
fsmn36 writes: “He flirts all day, but always seems strangely taken aback when a woman actually throws themselves at him (because that’s the other thing, John never chases them). Thoughts on that aspect of Sheppard, Joe? Was he meant to be a playboy and I’m merely too protective of him?”
Answer: I don’t think there’s any denying the fact that Sheppard was a bit of a playboy…but more often than not, uh, cooler heads prevailed.
Tagged: Atlantis, football, NFL, SGA, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis Rewatch, Stargate Rewatch, Stargate: Atlantis, Superbowl, Superbowl 48, Superbowl Extra Large 8, Superbowl XLVIII
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