As correctly predicted by Patrice Evans last week, the combination of the Giants' season-long success with the Jets' dominating win over the Titans in Nashville led to a wildly premature media discussion of a Super Bowl between New York's two teams. Mike Francesca kicked it off with talk of a "Jersey Bowl" on WFAN, and a website called The Broadway Bowl quickly popped up, celebrating the possibility of an all-New York matchup.
With the Jets coming down to earth with a disappointing performance at home against the Broncos, it looks like it may have been the Premature Exclamation Bowl (don't worry, New York media -- it happens to lots of publications). With that in mind, let's look back on the discussion that began with five games left in the regular season and no teams in the NFL locked into a playoff spot.
First up: the New York Post's Steve Serby, featuring brutal puns and a casual disregard for teams outside of the New York metropolitan area:
One man's conclusion: The Giants are 1. The Jets are 1a. It's up to Favre to take them higher between here and Tampa. So Favre, yet so near. No 4-gone conclusion in your New York- New York Super Bowl.
Next, the Daily News, which coupled its ackowledgment of early declaration with the assumption that a Broadway Bowl is inevitable:
Meanwhile, New York Magazine's Will Leitch tried to employ some restraint, but fell victim to the allure of a "Subway Series" of football:
So let it begin: A Super Bowl Subway Series — if subways went to East Rutherford, anyway — is more likely now [than] it has possibly ever been.
The New York Times oft-maligned sports page checked its history books and opted to disagree with Leitch's sentiment in its subdued evaluation of a possible Broadway Bowl:
[But] remember that no matter which teams are in first place before the Thanksgiving Day games, the road to the Super Bowl always goes through the X-ray room. Torn knees, pulled hamstrings and concussions can be only one play away.
Why, that's downright even-handed! Bravo, Old Gray Lady.
Looking at the situation with clear eyes, yesterday's Jets loss doesn't make them a bad team or a non-contender. It's just a loss, in the same way that the win over the Titans was just a win. A New York Super-Subway-Jersey-Broadway Bowl may yet happen, but let's all wait for the two weeks after the conference championships to beat that story line into the ground.
Besides, isn't there some other pressing New York sports event to speculate wildly about?
