Thought it might be fun as we lead up to the Super Bowl to see who the best of the Super Bowl losers would be. You have some pretty good Vikings teams back in the early days, the Broncos of the late '80s, and of course the Bills. Let's take 16 teams and we'll randomize a single-elim tourney to see who is the best of the second best. I got a couple of stocking stuffer gift cards that I'll send to the winner (I think 10 at Starbucks and 10 at Target) along with a certificate suitable for framing once you iron the creases out.

Here's a list from Wikipedia of the Super Bowl matchups:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_champions

You're picking a loser and a year -- can't just say that you want the Bills. If you're using that link, please make sure to subtract a year from the Super Bowl game date so we get the right year of the season.

Sims will run on WhatIfSports dot com... All games will be played at Soldier Field, 70 degrees and no rain or wind. You can also pick if you'd like to run an offense that is Balanced, Favor Run, Favor Pass or West Coast. Let me know -- otherwise I will just do Balanced. I'll post the link to the outcome along with a summary of what went on.

First to reply and claim a team gets them, if we don't get to 16 by end of day Sunday, I'll semi-randomly pick teams to fill out the bracket. One team per account, please.

Since I'm the first to post, I will claim the 2008 Cardinals -- still can't believe they couldn't hold on to that game. Probably not the best loser, but I'll just hope they can advance at least one round. Since I trust in Warner, I'm going with favor pass.. and if I win, I'm keeping my gift cards!

I'll post teams taken here:
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1968 Colts - FrankDrebin - Balanced
1981 Bengals - Hussra - Balanced
1990 Bills - RFDC - Balanced
1995 Steelers - donspiracy - Favor Run
1997 Packers - mcbrides - Favor Pass
2001 Rams - lipidquadcab - Favor Pass
2006 Bears - leashyourkids - Balanced
2007 Patriots - GoldenJet - Favor Pass
2008 Cardinals - newper - Favor Pass
2009 Colts - W_Z - Balanced
2011 Patriots - Terry's Peeps - Favor Pass
2013 Broncos - FavreFan - Favor Pass
2014 Seahawks - Chus - Balanced

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

1990 Bills- the missed FG team vs. the Giants

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

'95 Steelers - Favor Run.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

2014 Seahawks
2007 Patriots
1990 Bills

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

'06 Bears. They had it all, except a QB, a dominant RB, WR's, a pass rush, and an offensive coordinator. So close.

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Cedric Benson bailing on that game cost them. Rex didn't even need to throw the ball.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Actually, Hester lost that game. It was like he gave up after the first play.

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2009 indy

2007 Pats - favor pass

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2001 Rams, favor pass

97 packers favor pass

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https://www.backroadspubandgrill.com

2013 Broncos, favor pass. Seems fitting that Manning can win a Best Losers tournament.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

1968 Baltimore Colts - Balanced

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

2011 Patriots - Favor pass

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2007 Patriots by a fucking mile

Opening with three passes was a pretty terrible game plan.


Amazing, that even with Benson and Rex and Daniel Manning letting Wayne get free, they had the ball down 5 in the 4th quarter

Gotta close the tourney out -- anybody who hasn't picked a team yet, can adopt one of the following three:

• Adding in the 83 Redskins -- 14-2 regular season, both losses were by 1 point.
• Adding in the 76 Vikings -- with four franchise losses, at least one Vikings team deserves to be there.
• Adding in the 84 Dolphins -- give Marino another chance.

Challenge has started: http://challonge.com/csfmb_sb_losers

Monday's Games:
97 Packers vs 11 Patriots -- Favre vs Brady. The Packers put together a 13-3 record that year, led by Favre who led the league in completions, passing yards, and passing TDs. Brady of course led the Patriots to a 13-3 year as well, along with fellow probowlers Welker, Gronkowski, Mankins, and Wilfork among others. The Pack was shut down by the Broncos first Super Bowl win in five appearances, while the Patriots fell to the Giants in a repeat matchup from four years prior. My Take: Leaning towards the Patriots and the dynamic duo at TE... not sure the Packers can contain them.

07 Patriots vs 01 Rams -- 16-0, but couldn't get the job done. The 07 Patriots were arguably one of the best teams of all time, but couldn't quite get it done in the Super Bowl, even with Brady and Moss... Tyree used his head to score the upset. The 01 Rams, The Greatest Show On Turf, were upset by the cheating Patriots who had videotaped their practices leading up to the game. Perhaps this will serve as some sort of vindication if they can win this round. My Take: Hard not to like the Patriots here with the way they dominated over the year, but the Rams have an explosive offense so I'll root for them and their revenge matchup.

06 Bears vs 83 Redskins -- The 06 Bears are who we thought they were, but we were hoping they could take down the Colts in the Super Bowl. The 83 Redskins had won the Super Bowl the year before and were strong candidates to repeat, they had put up the greatest regular season point differential at the time. Al Davis was still sane back in those days, though, and the Raiders dominated the Super Bowl appearance. My Take: As much as I love the Bears, I'm going with the three J's: Joe Gibbs, Joe Theismann, and John Riggins.

95 Steelers vs 14 Seahawks -- Bill Cowher was the youngest coach to take his team to the Super Bowl, and had an interesting weapon in Kordell Stewart to go along with an excellent D starring Greene, Lloyd, and Lake. The 14 Seahawks were the most recent team to drop the Super Bowl, unable to repeat as champions as the cheating Patriots deflated footballs below the appropriate pressure to walk through the AFC. An interesting matchup as the 06 Super Bowl pitted these two franchises with some poor officiating perhaps driving the outcome. My Take: The Steelers are going with the favor run here, which is unique to the teams thus far. This will be a defensive battle, and I'm just not confident the Steelers can move the ball well enough, so I'm going with the Seahawks.

The rest of the first round will run on Tuesday.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

I was just going back in time from now, and listed three teams. '07 Pats would be my choice.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

97 Packers vs 11 Patriots

Game Link: https://www.wisjournal.com/nfl/boxscore ... teamfee=-1

The Patriots D showed up for this game, holding the Packers to 2 for 10 on 3rd Down conversions. While both teams were set to air the ball out, neither managed very much in the air -- the Patriots only had 152 total passing yards. Aaron Hernandez came up big, being used as a short-yardage back to get a TD, and catching one five yard pass for a TD. What really helped the Patriots were two big runs by The Law Firm Green-Ellis and Ridley; 97 yards on just two rushes. Mark Anderson wins player of the game, sacking Favre three times.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Well fuck me silly

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https://www.backroadspubandgrill.com

Mark Anderson did.

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07 Patriots vs 01 Rams

Game Link: https://www.wisjournal.com/nfl/boxscore ... teamfee=-1

Didn't expect this game to be quite as lopsided as it turned out to be. The Patriots put up an impressive 27 first downs and converted 10 of 15 3rd down tries. Brady went 22 of 29 for 384 yards with 1 TD. Warner had a less than stellar 14 for 21 for 321 yards and 4 TDs and 4 INTs, though 2 of those picks came in desperation mode towards the end of the game. Player of the game suprisingly went to the Rams' Torry Holt who caught 4 balls for 141 yards and 2 TDs. Would have gone with Brady or maybe Samuel who had 2 picks.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Wow a 16 seed beat a 1 seed?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Patriots cheating vibe.

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Would. Not. Happen.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

06 Bears vs 83 Redskins

Game Link: https://www.wisjournal.com/nfl/boxscore ... teamfee=-1

A defensive battle throughout, the opening score was a safety netting some gamblers a nice score. Neither team moved the ball very well - Bears averaged 2.6 a rush, Redskins averaged 3.4. Grossman was fairly efficient, however, going 15 for 19 and 210 yards with a couple of TD passes. Theismann would probably prefer to forget this game... only 146 yards, no TDs, and a INT. There was really no standout, so player of the game went to Grossman -- can't argue with that. I'd be concerned with the 06 Bears in the next round -- they'll need to do better offensively to continue.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Those seeds were all just randomized; I think the bracket site requires numbers, so that's why they are there but you can ignore them.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

95 Steelers vs 14 Seahawks

Game Link: https://www.wisjournal.com/nfl/boxscore ... teamfee=-1

Special Teams showed up big for the Steelers here as they consistently had good punt returns while keeping Seattle pinned back on their returns... the Steelers blocked a punt and recovered on Seattle's 18 yard line but could do nothing with it but kick a FG. Lynch was pretty well shut down by the Steelers defense, and likewise Morris and Pegram by the Seahawks (although some of that was just running out the clock.) O'Donnell only had 12 completions, but they were for 2 TDs and no INTs. Wilson was really held in check with only 108 yards passing and 31 yards on the ground. John Williams of the Steelers also busted a nice 71 yard passing play, but O'Donnell walked away as player of the game.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas