This year's Super Bowl promises to be ... super

Big weekends in the world of sports often bring up captivating story lines and match-ups -- this year's Super Bowl weekend is no different. After a convincing win last weekend, the Oakland Raiders have returned to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1984 and are in search of their fourth Super Bowl victory. \nMeanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in their first Super Bowl in the 26-year history of the franchise after dominating a Philadelphia Eagles team which had knocked them out of the playoffs the previous two years.\nWe need look no farther than the coaches, Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden (a.k.a. Chucky) and Oakland's Bill Callahan, to let the flood gates open with intrigue. Just last year Gruden roamed the sidelines for the Raiders with Callahan as Oakland's Offensive Coordinator after coming to the Raiders with Gruden in 1998 from Philadelphia.\n On the Bucs sideline you have the tough-nosed Gruden whose scowling facial expressions could put fear in the eyes of Hannibal and whose brash attitude was not appreciated by several current Raider players. Callahan on the other hand, brought a cool yet confident swagger to the Raider sidelines and has pushed all the right buttons in leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl.\nMedia interest does not stop with the team's coaches as cameras and spotlights will be cast on Raiders owner Al Davis who may blind you with his re-known silver and black sweatsuit. Davis, who has long been the nemesis of the NFL front office, has specific interest in this game as he pulled the strings on the 'trade' which allowed Gruden to go to Tampa Bay after last year.\nFor the first time in Super Bowl history, the No.1 regular season offensive and defensive squads will face each other. Loud-mouthed Warren Sapp leads a Tampa Bay defense which will attempt to slow down the Raiders potent offensive airshow led by 37-year-old quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player Rich Gannon.\nThe Bucs defense prides itself on speed, aggressiveness and its unique cover 2 defense which has stymied some of the best offenses in the NFL. If the Bucs pass rush cannot get to Gannon, we will likely see two wily veterans in 36-year-old Tim Brown and 40-year-old Jerry Rice corralling in passes. Brown will be making his first Super Bowl appearance of an illustrious 15-year career and despite their age, he and Rice have consistently found more holes in inexperienced backfields than in Swiss cheese.\nAlthough the match-up of the Raiders offense and Bucs defense is enticing, the game will likely be decided by what the ever-improving Bucs offense can do against a solid Raiders defense. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson was snubbed again Wednesday from the Pro Bowl when Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb was named the replacement for Green Bay's Brett Farve. Johnson has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns in the Bucs two playoff victories as he has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since not being considered one of the best three NFC quarterbacks by Pro Bowl voters.\nAfter pondering all the possible breakdowns of Super Bowl XXXVII, I will admit that I am completely unsure what to expect from the game. Several Super Bowl's of recent history have looked to be blowouts on paper, but as New England showed last year, that is why they play the game. Will Gruden be successful in using all he knows about Oakland to shut down the league's number one offense, or will Callahan outsmart and trick his way to a victory over his predecessor?\nIn the end, I think the old cliché, "offense wins games, defense wins championships" will prevail. The Bucs will prevail behind the leg of place kicker Martin "Automatica" Gramatica who will kick a late field goal for a 26-24 victory and Chucky will have the last laugh in this saga. Now lets just hope in the celebration that Gramatica does not tear a knee ligament in honor of younger brother Bill two years ago.