I’m sitting here waiting for the campus to start buzzing about this Sunday’s Super Bowl. However, there’s something I’ve heard about Larry Eustachy coaching against some guy named Knight this weekend. Ah, that guy can’t be too important. Back to the pigskin.

I’m Only Playing by the Rules

Referees take a lot of abuse. They hear about “bad calls” or “no calls.” They have to decide how the game is officiated and be the judge and jury of every play, down, point or foul.

With all of that possible human error on the field, there is even more put into the actual rules of the game. This thought caught up to me as I watched this year’s NFL playoffs.

With everything but the Super Bowl tucked away into its bed, I must admit the officials have done a good job calling the games. Does that mean I agree with all of their judgments? Hell no! In fact, most of the big plays these refs have had to mull over were way off.

I’m asking you fans to be the judge and jury of these plays gone bad. I would like to throw some evidence your way to make my case a little brighter.

Exhibit A: Oakland Raiders vs. New England Patriots (AFC Divisional Playoff).

The Pats are down three with 1:47 left in the contest. Snow has been flying around Foxboro Stadium all night long.

Quarterback Tom Brady goes back to pass when former Michigan teammate Charles Woodsen tattoos his frontside, causing the ball to pop loose from the quarterback’s grip.

The Raiders recover the ball, but after a challenge, the play is overturned. Brady is seen as throwing a forward pass when his arm had completed a pump fake and was pulling the ball back toward his body. The Pats go on to tie and eventually win the game.

Exhibit B: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC Championship).

This game had a couple of bad calls involving similar types of plays. During the game, Pats receiver Troy Brown and Steeler wideout Hines Ward made separate terrific catches, Brown over the middle and Ward on the sideline. Both players had control of the football, but lost it after contacting the ground with some portion of their body (Brown’s elbow, Ward’s back).

I know this is nit-picky and neither call decided the game, but the fact was the ground caused possession to be wiped out in both cases. Didn’t I hear that the ground can’t cause lost possession of the ball?

In closing, the refs did the right thing. They called the plays as the overseeing reach of NFL law would allow them. My answer … change the rules of the sport. Tweak `em, mold `em, shape `em, just make them better.

With that, the defense rests. Then again, they can’t if they’re from New England.

Absurd Predictions

Last week, I was off my game. My predictions were fairly straightforward. They had no life, no substance, no insane value.

So this week I hope to make up for it as everyone’s favorite circus makes its 2002 stop in the Big Easy.

As of Monday, the Super Bowl betting line was 14 points in favor of St. Louis, leaving the question, is there anything New England can do to stop the onslaught? My question asks, `what onslaught’?

Sure the Patriots weren’t everyone’s choice for the big game, but they’re there, despite Brady’s fumble against Oakland. The AFC champs gritted out victories and forced the issue on everybody else. So will be the case with the Rams. While you people are making bets on how soon St. Louis hits the 35-point mark, let me break down the real action.

Neither team finds a rhythm with the ball and both offenses don’t get to 250 yards.

Both punters get a workout. The Pats win this battle with seven kicks to the Rams’ six.

Turnovers are key in a game like this and keys will be a-flyin’ with both squads giving up three possessions a piece.

In the end, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri will clank a 56-yard field goal attempt off of the left upright with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, giving the Rams a 5-3 win and the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

And the world is back at peace. The thrill of ridiculous, the agony of my picks.

Jonathan Lowe is a senior in meterology from Kansas City, Mo.