It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not exactly a case of generalized apathy, but the zeal that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s usually apparent around Super Bowl season just isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there.<\/p>\n
The column of Super Bowl predictions lacks the wide-eyed passion we expect. And to no one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s surprise, some said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll tell you my prediction if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll tell me who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Glad you asked. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll tell you: It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, both teams having made the Super Bowl trip many times and come out ahead almost as many.<\/p>\n
Most pick the Steelers to cart off the Vince Lombardi Trophy; most believe Pittsburgh has too many weapons, including and especially Ben Roethlisberger, the 28-year-old quarterback who has won two Super Bowls.<\/p>\n
Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s move to the prognostications.<\/p>\n
There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no shame in a couple\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s rooting for different teams, as in the case of Samson and Christella Vallejos. She works for Amber Care Hospice and thinks that Big Ben will make the difference in a seven-point win for the Steelers.<\/p>\n
We hope there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no marital strife, as Samson differs with her; he says the Packers will take it by 12 points. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a fan of some team called the Broncos, and he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t particularly care for either current Super Bowl competitor.<\/p>\n
Willie Salas, a retired educator, like several others, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a supporter of either team but expects the Steelers to win. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The first quarter will be close, but in the second quarter, the Steelers will whip butt,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Salas said, eloquently.<\/p>\n
Clarence Romero is a paramedic with the Espa\u00c3\u00b1ola EMS, and an Oakland Raider fan. He says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pittsburgh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strong defense will give\u00e2\u20ac\u009d them a 14-point victory. Clarence added that Pittsburgh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Troy Polamalu, the NFL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Defensive Player of Year, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153makes offenses nervous.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Sandra Nepstad, originally from the Minneapolis and Chicago area, says her \u00e2\u20ac\u0153intuition\u00e2\u20ac\u009d alone leads her to favor the Packers. And she might be right. Has anyone ever heard of men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intuition?<\/p>\n
Werner Muller, a retired Highlands education professor, took a while to remember that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Steelers vs. the Packers on Sunday. Werner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m \u00e2\u20ac\u02dctorn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122: as immoral as Roethlisberger is, he still stands a chance of winning.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He expects a six-point victory.<\/p>\n
Werner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a Philadelphia Eagles fan, having been raised in the Pennsylvania area.<\/p>\n
West Las Vegas sophomore Marques Lovato is a Dallas Cowboys fan. He chooses Pittsburgh by about 20 points \u00e2\u20ac\u0153because they have a good quarterback and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been there several times.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
James \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Screech\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Saavedra, an Oakland Raiders fan, says \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pittsburgh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s defense is just too much for the Packers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Screech,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d an exercise tech at the City Recreation Center, also cites strong safety Troy Polamalu as a factor.<\/p>\n
Kathel Ochoa, a fourth-year student at Highlands, majoring in athletic training, picks the Packers by 10. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Green Bay\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quarterback, Aaron Rogers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ochoa says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153is much more precise than\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Big Ben.<\/p>\n
Rick Armijo, a Bronco fan and a counselor at Robertson High School, predicts a 21-14 victory for the Steelers. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pittsburgh has a better defense, and their quarterback\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a winner,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Rick said.<\/p>\n
Ray Sanchez, pursuing his master\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s degree in sports administration at Highlands University \u00e2\u20ac\u201d intelligently \u00e2\u20ac\u201d is a Raider fan, but the great Oakland team opted to stay home this year. So what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ray\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s choice? The Packers by 10 points. And why? Well, because of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Aaron Rodgers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ability to get out of the pocket and his accuracy in throwing on the run.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Ray adds that the Packers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153D\u00e2\u20ac\u009d has \u00e2\u20ac\u0153extra weapons in A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ray expects a 24-13 final score.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Dr. Bob Vander Meer, who does his work in the public eye. The optometrist for Eye Associates huddled with technician Ben Mora to come up with the Steelers-Packers matchup.<\/p>\n
The consensus: Vander Meer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Steelers in a close game \u00e2\u20ac\u201d because they always win, even if I intensely dislike them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ben\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also going with the Steelers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153because Green Bay\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too banged up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
The question: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who do you predict will win the Super Bowl?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d prompted a detailed discourse from former LVTI president and former State Rep. Samuel Vigil, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certainly aware of who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playing but who has grave concerns over how football at both the college and professional level exploits athletes and has become \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a commodity, something to keep the gambling world occupied.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
The arguments he made certainly have merit, but they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re too detailed to express here. I hope to corner him soon and devote an entire column to his concerns.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2<\/p>\n
Last week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s column ended with a few words that some of us butcher, such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153ath-a-let-ic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153jew-lery.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nacho Jaramillo, a local artist, said he finds it grating when people say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153arthur-itis.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Well, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got something to say to Nacho: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Arthur said it is quite cold.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Arthur who?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Arthur Mometer.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
And at the dinner and silent auction for Samaritan House, held at the United World College ballroom, retired teacher Pat Amai approached me and asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you like my jew-lery?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2<\/p>\n
Heard on local radio Tuesday: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The issue remains contentuous.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d That must be a hybrid of contentious and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153contemptuous.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d So if a debatable matter is particularly odious, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contentuous.<\/p>\n
And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how language grows. Look how successfully Sarah Palin coined a word, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153refudiate,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by fusing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153refute\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153repudiate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d You betcha!<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2<\/p>\n
Where else but in New Mexico can we have below-zero temperatures almost immediately following tepid conditions?<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service predicted temperatures as low as 10 degrees for Tuesday; minus 10 for Tuesday night; 3 degrees Wednesday; and minus 14 Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s frigid? The weather service reports a minus 14 having been recorded back in December 1990; the coldest February has ever been is minus 21, and an all-time low in Las Vegas was minus-26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not exactly a case of generalized apathy, but the zeal that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s usually apparent around Super Bowl season just isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there. The column of Super Bowl predictions lacks the wide-eyed passion we expect. And to no one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s surprise, some said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll tell you my prediction if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll tell me who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Glad you asked. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=709"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":711,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions\/711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}