Back-to-back Sweet 16s for San Diego State is surreal if you recall worst program era

San Diego State went 2-26 in the early 1990s. Later, the Aztecs went 4-22 and 5-23 in back-to-back seasons during my time covering the program.

The first game of that 5-23 season was Steve Fisher’s first as coach and there were FIVE people in the student section. Yep, I counted each one and had it in my game story.

Heck, I covered the programs for 14 seasons and they had ZERO NCAA Tournament wins when I was promoted to the NFL beat. If you haven’t ever won an NCAA Tournament game, you are one sad program.

So this back-to-back Sweet 16 stuff is very surreal. This used to be one of the worst programs in the nation. Now it has solidified itself as a national brand with a second straight big March Madness performance.

The Aztecs now get a second chance at UConn, the team they lost to in last season’s title game. Of course, San Diego State even playing for the national championship is the most crazy San Diego sports thing any of us will see in our lifetimes.

Not sure they can back to the title game, but there is a general feel that they can beat No. 1 overall seed UConn this time.

Last year, the Aztecs dismantled No. 1 overall seed Alabama in the Sweet 16. It’s not hard to envision it reaching the Elite Eight again.

Even in Boston, which not a far bus ride for UConn. Heck, UConn coach Dan Hurley somehow has been whining about how things are stacked again his team.

Ummmmmm, hey little baby Danny, your opponent played Sunday night in Spokane, Wash., arrived home in the wee hours of Monday morning and has to fly from San Diego to Boston on Tuesday. Sounds like one great advantage for you.

Danny, hope you don’t wet your pants too much on the short bus ride.

Anyway, masterful San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher gets to review last year’s title-game loss and make adjustments. We will all see what he comes up with for Thursday’s game.

Here is my San Diego State coverage for the first two rounds.

FIRST ROUND

SAN DIEGO STATE–UAB

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/san-diego-state-searches-for-ncaa-deja-vu-starting-vs-uab/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/jaedon-ledee-powers-san-diego-state-past-uab-2024-03-22/

SECOND ROUND

SAN DIEGO STATE–YALE

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/no-13-yale-eyes-another-shocker-vs-san-diego-state/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-5-san-diego-st-blasts-no-13-yale-85-57-2024-03-25/

Here is the rest of my coverage for the first and second rounds. Storing it here means I can find it at a later date.

FIRST ROUND

DUQUESNE–BYU

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/no-6-seed-byu-no-11-duquesne-determined-for-ncaa-breakthrough/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/duquesne-upsets-byu-first-ncaa-tourney-win-55-years-2024-03-21/

IOWA STATE–SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Preview –https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/coaches-reunite-as-second-seeded-iowa-state-meets-south-dakota-state/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/second-seeded-iowa-state-cruises-past-south-dakota-state-2024-03-22/

WASHINGTON STATE–DRAKE

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/no-7-washington-state-not-doubting-firepower-of-no-10-drake/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/isaac-jones-scores-20-washington-state-rallies-past-drake-2024-03-22/

KANSAS–SAMFORD

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/health-concerns-follow-no-4-kansas-to-utah-run-and-gun-samford-awaits/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/hunter-dickinsons-big-night-helps-kansas-hang-beat-samford-2024-03-22/

YALE–AUBURN

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/auburn-travels-many-miles-in-bid-to-put-yale-in-rear-view-mirror/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/john-poulakides-leads-no-13-yale-shocker-over-auburn-2024-03-22/

ALABAMA–CHARLESTON

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/plenty-of-points-expected-as-alabama-faces-charleston/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mark-sears-scores-30-alabama-overwhelms-charleston-2024-03-23/

GRAND CANYON–SAINT MARY’S

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/tyon-grant-foster-grand-canyon-aim-to-subdue-saint-marys/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/grand-canyon-defeats-saint-marys-first-ever-ncaa-tourney-win-2024-03-23/

SECOND ROUND

IOWA STATE–WASHINGTON STATE

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/battle-tested-no-2-iowa-state-faces-no-7-washington-state/

Recap — https://www.news-journal.com/iowa-st-pulls-away-to-oust-wazzu-advance-to-sweet-16/article_a821325d-7a3b-548a-b855-21a3afa47293.html

ARIZONA–DAYTON

Preview — https://starlocalmedia.com/sports/national/arizona-starts-fast-holds-off-dayton-to-advance/article_5e49c260-d257-5958-b611-7f153392b5d3.html

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/arizona-starts-fast-holds-off-dayton-advance-2024-03-23/

GONZAGA–KANSAS

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/kansas-gonzaga-test-mettle-with-spot-in-sweet-16-on-line/#google_vignette

Recap — https://www.dailypostathenian.com/sports/national/article_737db731-e546-5adb-8035-c66d16a603ca.html

ALABAMA–GRAND CANYON

Preview — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/ncaab/points-aplenty-expected-when-grand-canyon-alabama-meet/

Recap — https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-4-alabama-holds-off-no-12-grand-canyon-advances-sweet-16-2024-03-25/

Chiefs become a dynasty on a day 49ers didn’t seem so swift

While covering Sunday’s Super Bowl, I never once felt the San Francisco 49ers would win the game.

Not when they led by 10 points, not when they went ahead with 1:53 left in regulation and not when they took the lead midway through overtime.

It’s not always easy to quantify the ‘why’ in those situations. But I have covered enough NFL games to sense it.

Even while the Kansas City Chiefs weren’t looking so sharp, I felt there would be a time when they would rev up their game.

The opening occurred when the 49ers muffed a punt while leading by four late in the third quarter. One play later, the Chiefs were in the lead and the whole tenor of the game changed.

The 25-22 overtime victory makes it three Super Bowl victories in the past five seasons for the Chiefs, two coming against San Francisco.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes kind of admitted Kansas City really has a dynasty going on now.

“It’s the start of one. We’re not done yet. I know we’re going to celebrate tonight but we’re not done. We’ve got a young team and we’re going to keep this team going.”

Here is the stellar national game story  – https://www.mdjonline.com/fieldlevel/three-for-kc-chiefs-beat-49ers-in-overtime-to-win-super-bowl-lviii/article_9e5251ec-5f96-5603-aa6f-11bb055672f1.html

Thankfully, the football season is over and Taylor Swift can go back to doing what she normally does. I have seen her on TV more often the past five months than the rest of her career.

She might not even be hanging around Travis Kelce by the start of next season. We know how these star relationships go.

Of course, she’ll never be the most annoying person in “Chiefs Kingdom.” Brittany Mahomes will always carry that title.

Just putting some other links down here because sometimes it’s really hard to find the stories I write on the Internet if I look for one down the line.

AFC Championship Game

Chiefs shut down Ravens, book Super Bowl return | Reuters

First Look at Super Bowl

Chiefs eye back-to-back titles, while 49ers out for revenge – Field Level Media – Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Travis Kelce feature

Travis Kelce rejects retirement talk, focuses on third ring (deadspin.com)

Nick Bosa feature (and some Fred Warner)

For Nick Bosa, Super Bowl about a ring — and revenge | NFL | annistonstar.com

Legendary ‘Air Coryell’ mastermind finally inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

Football was a boring game when I was a kid — until Don Coryell returned to San Diego to coach the NFL team.

Nearly every NFL team would run the ball on third-and-four as if a quarterback wasn’t to be trusted on an important down.

Meanwhile, Dan Fouts was a below-average quarterback looking like he’d be out of the NFL in a few years. Except Don Coryell showed up with that wild offense and Fouts magically turned into the best quarterback in the game.

My national Coryell induction story — https://www.nationalfootballpost.com/nfl/legendary-don-coryell-finally-lands-in-pro-football-hall-of-fame/

Pro football in San Diego was never more popular than during the ‘Air Coryell’ era. The Chargers went from lame losers to the most exciting team the sport had ever seen.

Simply due to one person — Don Coryell.

Coryell, who died in 2010, finally was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

He was a seven-time finalist and this year, enough voters came to their senses and voted him into the Hall in Canton.

You look at today’s offense and you see Coryell’s fingerprints everywhere.

I once spent 90 minutes at his house in El Cajon interviewing him and he couldn’t have been more inviting or engaging. We discussed his time at San Diego State, his time in the NFL and how he would be remembered.

I suggested at that time that he underestimates his accomplishments and his mark on the game.

“I’ve been asked that many times,” Coryell told me in his living room. “I don’t worry about what I’m remembered as. I relish thinking back of all the wonderful people I worked with.”

That was touched on by Mindy Coryell Lewis, daughter of the new Hall of Famer, during the induction speech.

“What I’m sure of is that he would he humbled, grateful and maybe a bit surprised that his legacy has lived on for all these years and is now forever recognized as being worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Lewis said.

Coryell’s presenter was Fouts, which was no surprise. Fouts had relentlessly pushed for Coryell’s induction over the years even as the disappointments added up.

But on this day, there was no longer a problem. Don Coryell had flown into history for the entire world to see.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Lewis shrieked. “Air Coryell has landed in Canton.”

Way, way overdue but way, way more deserved.

Lamont Butler’s 7.0 scoring average will be entering Aztecs Athletic Hall of Fame

Lamont Butler made himself a San Diego State legend and future Aztec Athletic Hall of Famer with one shot.

That 7.0 career scoring average means nothing. Zero. Zilch. Shooting the Aztecs into the national championship game means everything.

Butler didn’t panic with the game on the line. When his first path to the hoop was blocked, he reversed his position and made the jumper that swished the net as time expired. A shot heard all around San Diego that will never be forgotten.

People will always know where they were when Butler shot down Florida Atlantic. Same way they know where they were when Steve Garvey homered in 1984 or Marshall Faulk ran through BYU in 1992.

There was an NFL team that played in the city but those memories are erased. Though you are free to think of the “Air Coryell” days and remember where you were when Kellen Winslow was helped off the field in Miami.

Stellar story here on Lamont Butler motivated by shooting death of sister — https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/san-diego-state-hero-lamont-butler-motivated-by-sisters-death

Butler has joined that short list of San Diego athletes who pulled off the big accomplishment in the most pivotal moment. No matter what happens in Monday’s national title game against UConn, Butler and this version of the Aztecs will always be recalled as an amazing team.

Let that sink in — San Diego State is playing UConn for the national title. The Aztecs’ best chance of winning is for Seth Davis and Charles Barkley to both pick UConn. Those two guys can’t even pick out their clothes correctly.

On Sunday, Butler was putting his focus on the national championship game. But, of course, well aware of how epic his shot was.

“It still feels amazing, still unbelievable that we’re in this position,” Butler said. “But our focus is on winning the national championship. So I mean, we celebrated last night, but we’re back focused, and we’re going to get it done.”

Said Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher: “What an incredible shot. It put us in the championship game. But at the end of the day people are going to talk about who won the national championship. People in San Diego will always remember Lamont’s shot. But if we win a title, then they’re really going to remember that shot.”

Lamont Butler’s shot is the biggest moment in the history of the San Diego State basketball program. Mark it — he’ll be inducted into the Aztecs Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sorry crybaby media types, the portal assures this won’t be the last underdog Final Four

My bylined national Final Four analysis is below but first, crybaby sportswriters need their diapers changed.

I used to hear some of this nonsense live but the social media era just shows how many sad, pathetic media types litter up the sports coverage landscape in 2023.

If you are a “journalist” crying about which teams are in the Final Four, maybe you should be covering NAIA basketball and not the big boy type.

If you are whining that there are zero No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, are you too dumb to notice that TWO of those teams (Alabama, Houston) were outplayed by San Diego State and Miami, respectively?

Do you freaking pay attention at all?

In other words, two of the teams you don’t want in the Final Four soundly whipped two of the No. 1 seeds. Criticism should be about Nate Oats and Kelvin Sampson coming up TWO WINS short with their star talent. Rip the underachievers, not the overachievers.

You scared one of Oats’ players might transport a gun in your direction?

This Final Four — which also includes Florida Atlantic and UConn — is no aberration. The transfer portal and NIL era are a major equalizer. You will see surprise teams crashing the Final Four moving forward.

The high seeds might be back in control next year and maybe they won’t. There is a reason why they PLAY the actual games. You’d think any media type would kind of know that the favorites don’t win 100 percent of the time.

Stellar national analysis here — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/analysis/party-crashers-usher-in-a-new-final-four-era-2/

San Diego State guard Matt Bradley wasn’t amused when a “reporter” asked Thursday if this was a boring Final Four since none of the big name programs were involved.

Looks like Bradley politely shoved humble pies in the faces of dozens of crybaby sports reporters.

Guess what — nobody cares whether you watch the Final Four or not. Nobody gives a damn if you watch Monday’s title game. Heck, we don’t care if you play esports in your basement, spend your whole afternoon on chess.com or dress up like Aquaman.

More importantly, nobody cares about your opinions about the Final Four. Nobody at all.

Oh, it’s time for your bottle.

Shining Moment: San Diego State basketball program goes from the gutter to Final Four

I was at the press conference when Steve Fisher talked about turning San Diego State into a national power.

Anybody in the room who laughed or was in disbelief was completely justified.

There definitely were people mocking Fisher afterward, including one reporter who loved to talk about how San Diego State was “small time.”

Yeah, Brian Dutcher wasn’t kidding Sunday when he said nobody anywhere bought into the vision that Fisher and Dutcher had when they took over the worst college basketball program in the nation.

The newbies have no idea how gutter low the Aztecs were back in 1999. Pick your biggest insult and magnify it by 50 and you’ll hit it on the head.

Now the Aztecs are one of the big boys, that validity stamped by reaching the Final Four for the first time in school history.

Stellar national game story here — https://fieldlevelmedia.com/latest-sports-news/no-5-san-diego-state-makes-first-final-four-beats-creighton-57-56-2/

“We’re making the next step, and it’s something we’ve always talked about,” Dutcher said after Sunday’s 57-56 victory over Creighton. “I’m sure there were people that doubted we could do it, but we never doubted for a minute. Not to say it’s easy to get there or that we would ever get there, but we’re there now, and we’re going to go and try to win the thing.”

Now it seems possible San Diego State could win the whole darn thing. Florida Atlantic and Miami also have never been to the Final Four and red-hot UConn wasn’t being picked by any of the know-it-all experts at the outset of March Madness.

In other words, it is a four-team tournament and it won’t be a surprise if any of the remaining teams win it. The Aztecs will face Florida Atlantic — another surprise team that is thriving — on Saturday. Miami and UConn square off in the other national semifinal.

Let’s reminisce about what San Diego State basketball once was:

–A program that played in on-campus Peterson Gym in the early 1990s because it was hard to get 1,500 people to attend their games.

–A program that hired a junior-college coach named Fred Trenkle when the public was clamoring for Jerry Tarkanian and got what it deserved — a 4-22 record in Trenkle’s fifth and (thankfully) final season.

–A program that had FIVE people in the student section for Fisher’s first home game.

–A program that went 5-23 without winning a single Mountain West game during Fisher’s first season. He then ran off five scholarship players from the former regime.

–A program that was less than a minute away from the first NCAA Tournament history in school history in 2006 before an embarrassing turnover by Brandon Heath allowed Indiana to steal a victory and leave the Aztecs 0-5 in NCAA tourney play.

San Diego State finally got its first NCAA Tournament win in 2011, making the Sweet 16 that season behind Kawhi Leonard and again in 2014. The Aztecs were 30-2 before COVID-19 shut down the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Now the next step has been taken during a season in which we were told over and over that the Big 12 was going to dominate the postseason tournament. I am looking all over the bracket and I don’t see a single Big 12 team remaining.

Back to programs that are still playing as April arrives. For the first time, that includes San Diego State.

“We’re grateful to be advancing,” Dutcher said. “I told the team in the locker room — they had the music going. I walked in, and I told them, turn it down. I said, ‘either sing, dance, or get out of the way. Aztecs are going to the Final Four.'”

Aztecs are going to the Final Four. … For real. … It is sinking in.

A program that was atrocious 24 years ago is now seeking its Shining Moment.

San Diego State is America’s Team but once had the nation’s worst program

There were five people in the student section when Brian Dutcher served as assistant coach at San Diego State for the first time in November of 1999.

Now it feels like there are five million fans of the Aztecs as the program plays the biggest game in school history on Sunday against Creighton.

Stellar national preview here — https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/no-5-san-diego-state-no-6-creighton-soar-into-south-region-final/

A Final Four berth is on the line for a program that was the very worst in the nation with Steve Fisher became coach and brought along Dutcher.

There was no basketball tradition and certainly zero NCAA Tournament wins. Of course, show me a program without an NCAA win and you’ve just correctly displayed a basketball lightweight.

Even nothing programs like Idaho and Idaho State have won NCAA Tournament games. The Aztecs were embarrassments but did have a couple names to brag about — a point guard named Tony Gwynn who could swing a baseball bat and a future NBA rebounding champ in Michael Cage.

Things are much different now. The Aztecs began making the NCAA Tournament and eventually won a game. They went to two Sweet 16s, one with future NBA star Kawhi Leonard leading the way. San Diego State went 30-2 one season but the coronavirus lead to the cancellation of the tourney.

And now they are in position to make some real noise. They became America’s Team when they sent hated Brandon Miller and Alabama home on Friday to reach their first Elite Eight. They also certainly can beat Creighton, despite blowing a late nine-point lead against the Bluejays in last season’s NCAA Tournament before falling in overtime.

In November, the two teams shared the same plane on flights to and from the Maui Invitational with Dutcher and Creighton’s Greg McDermott sitting across from each other in the aisle. Just four months later, there is an opportunity to reach new heights.

“I never thought we would be playing them here, or I would have tried to steal a few play calls off his computer,” Dutcher cracked on Saturday.

Let it all sink in. Just the fact San Diego State is in a game like this is impressive enough.

You know, because losing by 20 points used to be the norm for the Aztecs.

Things have certainly changed.

San Diego State is America’s Team after eliminating Alabama Crimson Gunboys

No wonder Brandon Miller transported the gun instead of firing the fatal shots.

Having 3 of 19 shots on target is horrible accuracy.

But at least the most shameful college basketball program is going home before the Elite Eight even starts.

Fifth-seeded San Diego State outplayed, outhustled and even outshot the Alabama Crimson Gunboys, the top-seeded team that collapsed 71-64 in the Midwest Region semifinals on Thursday night.

“Wrong spot at the wrong time,” don’t you think Nate Oats?

Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher badly outmaneuvered Alabama coach Oats, who butchered the situation in which Miller transported the gun to then-teammate Darius Miles that was used in the shooting death of Jamea Harris on Jan. 15.

A person losing her life was an inconvenience to Oats’ championship hopes and the big bonus checks he receives for NCAA Tournament wins. Hard to believe Oats can get even three hours sleep a night — unless he has no conscious.

So the good guys won, and the Aztecs are in the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. That’s a much better development than seeing Alabama playing for a Final Four spot on Saturday.

And good-person coach Dutcher has the chance of a lifetime on Saturday. He is such a good guy that he would see me on the football practice field in the heat of August and regularly come down to chat with me for 5 to 10 minutes.

If you know someone who dislikes Dutcher, know this: That person is the problem.

I used to cover the Aztecs when they didn’t have a single NCAA Tournament victory. Any school without a single NCAA win is an embarrassment and San Diego State certainly was, once going winless in Mountain West play.

And, of course, you only needed to count to five to count all the people in the student section back then. Now the Aztecs have one of the best in the nation.

On Thursday, San Diego State was wilting before it overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to notch the biggest victory in school history. Partly why they got there was their defense being the silencer on gunner Miller, who had just nine points.

“We recruit and we say our goal is to win a national championship, so we can’t act surprised when we have an opportunity to advance to the Final Four,” Dutcher said afterward. “That’s what we tell them when we recruit them, and it’s just not words to get them to come here. It’s words we believe in.”

Guard Darrion Trammell was the hero with 21 points and made three 3-pointers. Alabama was 3 of 27 as a team — misfiring as if the wrong gun was transported to Louisville.

“We feel like we can beat any team in the country,” Trammell said. “We work hard and feel like we have the DNA of a winning team that goes far in March. We have experience. We have grit. This is what we’re supposed to do.”

Hard for this to sink in: San Diego State will be playing for a spot in the Final Four. And will have a real SHOT to make it.

Bang!

If you’re ripping Jalen Hurts after Super Bowl, please sign off the Internet immediately

If you are criticizing Jalen Hurts tonight, there is definitely something wrong with you.

Please quit watching sports now. And your access to the Internet needs to be halted (hey, Facebook and Twitter have been known to mute and block people).

Hurts was Super Bowl MVP for three quarters of Sunday’s big game. Patrick Mahomes stole the show — and the award — with a superb final quarter.

Stellar national Super Bowl story here — Chiefs rally in second half to take down Eagles, win Super Bowl LVII | National Post

Mahomes rallied the Kansas City Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City became just the second franchise in 28 attempts to rally from a 10-point deficit in the Super Bowl.

Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator the other time a team failed to hold a double-digit lead. He proved clueless on how to protect the Atlanta Falcons’ 25-point, third-quarter lead against the New England Patriots.

Mahomes threw two of his three touchdowns in the final quarter to win MVP honors for the second time. No argument at all.

But Hurts was superb in the biggest game of his three NFL seasons.

He tied a Super Bowl record with three rushing scores and also passed for one touchdown. Hurts was 27-of-38 passing for 304 yards and rushed for 70 more while teaming up with Mahomes as the first pair of Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history.

Read that paragraph again — a quarterback with Hurts’ numbers would typically win the Super Bowl and claim MVP honors.

But wow, read that nonsense online and you would think Hurts just pulled a Ryan Leaf or Nathan Peterman performance. Dorks everywhere online.

I’m old enough to remember when fans had to call a sports talk show to criticize an athlete. Now it is too easy and too many knuckleheads who haven’t any clue what goes into being a professional rip those guys as if they are an authority.

I have no idea why ANY professional athlete would have a social media account. Who needs that trash from all these hooligans?

Hurts was a finalist for regular-season MVP honors and he has stamped himself as a quarterback to watch. And remember, few NFL teams viewed him as starting material when he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2020 by the Eagles.

Yeah, he lost a fumble that the Chiefs returned for a touchdown. Guess what? Every star NFL quarterback has turned the ball over before. It happens. It’s part of the game.

Regardless, Hurts is a great success story and just scratching his potential at age 24. He’ll be around for a while and probably back in the Super Bowl sometime over the next few seasons.

And surely, he will be called names on that occasion as well by the dummkopfs who somehow figured out how to turn on a computer.

Super Bowl winner now disclosed, national preview inside to get you ready

On the eve of Super Bowl LVII, I have identified the winner.

Good thing for me as I am alive for mucho dollars in a season-long prediction league.

When I make a prediction, you can count on it having a high accuracy of being correct.

I mean, who will ever forget me picking Villanova to upset North Carolina in the 2016 college basketball national championship game. And almost hitting the final score.

I predicted the Wildcats to post a 77-73 victory. The final score was 77-74.

You can’t come much closer than that. Most “experts” didn’t even pick Villanova, let alone almost nailing the point total for both teams.

In the Internet age, most sports fans have learned that the “experts” aren’t always very bright, let alone getting the winner right.

I have the winner pinned down and it is the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sorry Patrick Mahomes, you will be dropping to 1-2 in Super Bowls while becoming youngest ever (27 years, 148 days) to start three of them.

It isn’t just because of the Eagles’ pass rush, though those 78 sacks that are third-most all-time behind two great Chicago Bears’ defense in the mid-1980s is impressive.

But I see the Eagles being able to control the clock with their stellar rushing attack (416 yards, seven touchdowns in two playoff games) with Jalen Hurts doing just enough passing damage with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Kansas City’s loss won’t be as humiliating at that 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two years ago but expect the Chiefs to lose by six to 10 points.

Following is my national preview to get you ready for the game. A few other of my stories for the week are below that.

Following is my national preview to get you ready for the game. A few other of my stories for the week are below that.

Eagles’ D faces ultimate test in Super Bowl: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes – National Football Post

The Kelces are the first brothers to play in the same Super Bowl. They dreamed of playing in one but not with either the Chiefs or Eagles.

Childhood dream comes true with a twist as Kelces clash in Super Bowl (missoulian.com)

Andy Reid spent 14 seasons as coach of the Eagles and now he is on the other sideline. He lost his lone Super Bowl with Philadelphia but has a ring with Kansas City.

Familiar foe: No walk down Sentimental Street for Andy Reid – NewsBreak

Mahomes always has that coolness vibe going on and it sounds like his heart rate remains steady in tense situations. Unflappable as he chases another Super Bowl ring.

Mahomes not feeling pressure ahead of third Super Bowl (yahoo.com)

Mahomes and Hurts are the first Black quarterbacks to start against one another in the Super Bowl. Only three Black quarterbacks have won the big game (Doug Williams, Russell Wilson and Mahomes).

Super Bowl notebook: QBs proud to be in historic matchup | NFL | annistonstar.com

NOTE: Eagles items in the notebook were written by a different talented co-worker.