GarageGabs

People dressed differently in the late 80’s

Funny dressers included myself. Check out those tight jeans, big hat, and glasses. Also, I had some elaborate camera case for some cheesy camera. Is it me, or were my feet way to big for my body?

Ok, if I had to do a ranking of favorite moments during our trip they would go: 4. Hearing Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” played 40 times consecutively on a radio station. 3. Seeing my first bare breast on the beach. 2. Montana to Taylor, 38 seconds to play. 1. The girl on the right. As a 16 year old kid I had never been near boobs like that. No, that jughead hat and “Cobra” sunglasses did not impede my vision.

I remember it was VERY hot and humid, and we arrived in the stadium as soon as the gates opened.

It’s a shame every kid can’t get a chance to watch Joe Montana play.

As for the game, it of course was a classic. Montana led the Niners on a late TD drive to earn Bill Walsh his 3rd (and last) Super Bowl. I’ll never forget it. Some notes on Miami:

Obviously, it is hot and humid in Miami. Sunday is actually looking pretty good weather wise, a high near 80, 20 percent chance of rain, and partly cloudy. Rain can come at any time though. It’s also very breezy in Miami, but it doesn’t appear to have much effect on passing games. I’m sure it’s not an issue now, but the grass they had down in the stadium in ‘89 was terrible. It must have been new and wasn’t rooted well, because it was coming up in chunks by the end of the game.
What impact will the venue have on each team? Well, no one can be certain, but you can try to make some guesstimates.

Rex Grossman has obviously played in Florida before. The last time he played in Dolphins Stadium he was coming off the bench (curfew violation) in the 2002 Orange Bowl, leading the Florida Gators to a romp over Maryland. Grossman threw for 248 yards and 4 TD, in a little over 2 quarters. Grossman’s season splits offer little as to what his performance might be this weekend thanks to his inconsistency. He’s been a slightly better home QB, but nothing to make a big deal over. He’s been a better rated QB on turf but again, nothing big. He’s better at night, and better when it’s warm, but again…no huge discrepancies. Long story short on Grossman? He could play on the moon and you couldn’t predict his performance. Nothing jumps out when looking at the Bears backs as far as venue is concerned either. The Bears, as a team, are obviously used to (and built for) playing on grass.

Peyton Manning is a different story. It’s also a story that might surprise you. Over the last 3 years Manning has actually been a slightly better QB on grass. He’s thrown for about 15 yards more per game, added a couple percentage points to his completion percentage, and actually has a higher QB rating (by a whopping 1 point) on grass. The variations here aren’t huge, but with so much emphasis placed on the Colts being a fast, turf team, it’s interesting that Manning holds his own on grass. It’s nearly as hard to pinpoint Manning’s performance as it is Grossman’s, but for an entirely opposite reason. Manning is so danged consistent in almost every situation that it’s impossible to find huge variations. The wildcard for the Colts will be their run game. Joseph Addai is built for turf, and averages a full 1 yard per carry more on turf. Same goes for Dominic Rhodes. On grass, he’s losing nearly a yard per carry, compared to his turf average. Could the Bears physical defense shut down the Colts run game, forcing them to go exclusively to the pass? Would this be a bad thing for the Colts?

History would seem to side with Peyton Manning. Miami’s Super Bowl History has been about quarterbacks; Starr, Namath, Bradshaw, Montana, Young, and Elway are all part of the Miami legacy. His name seems fitting to add to that list.

Verdict: I don’t think the venue will make a huge difference, BUT if it does create any advantage, I think it would be with the Bears. The Bears are built for playing physical football on grass. The Colts (offense and defense) are built around speed. History don’t mean squat as nearly every Super Bowl has been about building the legacy of a quarterback. Round 1 goes to Chicago.