#unless its like a nickname. what could brady be short for

[sieglinde-freud]

been thinking about the tharjabelle family unit a lot. i think maribelle spent five thousand years scraping through ye olden baby names textbooks in her family’s library and was like “We shall name our daughter Noire! It’s a lovely name, a reference to your love of the dark arts and [wikipedia etymology section] while still being classy. Just gorgeous. Now, what shall we name our son?” and tharja goes “brady.” mari’s like ???? fym brady what the hell is that and tharja goes “oh its traditional plegian” “Oh, really!? 😄” “no”

#ann plays awakening #domestic tharjabelle i am molding you in my mind #i still have no idea why on earth maribelle named her son brady #there’s nothing wrong with that name. bradys one of my favs #but im lookin at maribelle and im thinkin ur kids name should be remington charlesworth von themis the fourth #or some shit #i mean this positively #i love maribelle #but i can only conclude she was NOT the one who named him #she wouldnt… #unless its like a nickname. what could brady be short for #i dunno. bradworth? thats not a name. #maybe its his #WHATEVER anyways tharja named him. in my head <3 #also and these tags r j becoming my tharjabella hcs extended edition #but also idk i think maribelle wouldnt actually mind if brady was a plegian name. i think she’d like it actually #in game she seems not all that knowledgeable about plegia and is rather hostile #for obvious reasons. i wouldnt like the ppl that kidnapped me either #but i think taking a plegian wife would let her want to learn more about it and especially since later on chrom starts to bridge the gap #between their nations a bit more and by the end of the game while im sure things arent GREAT theyre probably on the way to gettin better #and i just think she’d want tharja to feel more at home in ylisstol so the whole gesture would j be sweet :) #not sure how much tharja would actually care but she’d probably appreciate the effort #wish i had more info on house themis but whatever. i’ll start makin shit up idgaf #fuck you awakening world building

[fearlesscontender21-blog]

Article: What could possible be going on in Messi’s head right now?

(Written June 6 2018, by Alfonso Martirez)

Days away from the most important two months of his life, fans feel the gravity of this one tournament and die-hard fans sit in numbing anxiety.

Us fans shouldn’t be too worried though. For awhile now, Lionel Messi has been regarded as the goat and I refuse to entertain any back-and-forth’s with Ronaldo fans. Or worse, old school purists who think it’s Pele or Maradona.

When one is bestowed a label or moniker such as: the goat, it would be expected to feel a particularly unnerving energy that goes with it. Especially the extent of what the term entails, it’d be inhuman to feel okay when the term goat is beset onto them (unless they’re the blatantly ignorant humans). Luckily for us Messi kiss-asses— Lionel Andres Messi isn’t human.

Messi is pure, raw talent. What separates him from fellow sportsmen is his quietness and humble mannerisms. A modern perception of superstars is that they must possess bravado to the point of blurry discernment between confidence and arrogance. The likes of LeBron, Neymar, Tiger, had the confidence instilled as the spotlight has been on them since their youth, whilst the Jordan’s, Brady’s, Kobe’s had it because of their innate competitive personalities. Messi is cut from

his own cloth—thriving off of talent (seemingly) on its own. However, Messi’s confidence and elan vital for the game may come from a source most people tend to overlook, his belief.

Messi has stated via TyC sports that he intends to go on a 43-mile pilgrimage if Argentina wins the World Cup. That’s 68 kilometres—that’s about 15 hours considering how short Messi’s legs are. Also keep in mind that the squad joining him is just about the same squad that lost to Spain 6-1 in a tune up match last March (without Messi).

Though, this statement by Messi is all baloney, until you consider the circumstances. No, this statement is a promise extended to the degree of legacy and national scrutiny. Scrutiny his own countrymen selfishly and unfairly hold against him simply because his successes have been exclusive to sunny Barcelona. Nonetheless, Messi is preparing himself for a great World Cup, and all the preparations are going to be in private, except for one—the pilgrimage. Author, Steven Kotler explained that risk is a necessary operative for performing at your best. What better way to impose risk for a quiet, meek mannered Argentinian nicknamed the flea, to put himself in the position of potential embarrassment before the world’s very eyes.

So now we have a man (be it an extraordinarily talented man), prepared for global scrutiny. One man amongst 10 teammates and a nation, acknowledging his extraordinary responsibility.

In a Businessworld article by Jemy Gatdula, he goes on to state the comparison of the beautiful game to chess. “By the fifth move, one could possibly log 4,897,256 potential moves. Football is the same [however] moves are not fixed to alternating between players, the 22 “pieces” are moving (and moving fast), and the movements don’t remain on a flat square.” Lionel Messi is quite literally facing that same probability of potential outcomes, except in his legacy’s case, the next move is a World Cup trophy in his hands and he is promptly welcoming the challenge.

In times where people enjoy the tendency of comparing profession to artistry, we often times forget that individuals can be craftsmen– passionate men and women obsessing over what they love to do, eventually reaching heights they deserve. Messi was once a kid who, what he lacked in growth hormones, made up for ability to have the football superglued to his feet. Messi might just be the ultimate crossbreed between artist and craftsman via superstar athlete. Dancing around defenders in simple, groovy movements and rhythm. Masterfully applying simple movements for the sake of functionality, conserving energy and minimising risk of injury. I restate my claim, Messi isn’t just inhuman nor one of a kind but a standout among standouts.

This 5’6 (with human growth hormones (who knows how short he’d be without it)) Argentinian is ready to do all that he can just for his country. Whether or not he pulls through for his angered countrymen—one thing is for sure, he will bask in his own unequaled greatness. He is ready to produce the greatest work of art embodied in one summer, ready to craft a masterpiece of a World Cup performance.

#article #messi #leomessi #lionelmessi #worldcup #worldcup2018 #goat

[junker-town]

How to build your way-too-early top 25 for 2019

The season’s less than eight months away. Act quickly to put together a top 25 that respects convention.

The 2018 college football season is about to be in the books. The 2019 college football season starts on August 24, with a handful of pre-Week 1 contests.

Time’s already running short to decide on your preseason top 25. Before 2018’s body even has a chance to get cold, let’s get to work on a 2019 preseason ranking together. Our top priority in building this ranking is to honor the tradition of preseason top-25ing.

1. The Alabama-Clemson winner

A customary spot for a team that plays in the National Championship every year, especially one returning a great young QB and with tons of young talent to replace NFL losses.

2. The Alabama-Clemson loser

A customary spot for a team that plays in the National Championship every year, especially one returning a great young QB and with tons of young talent to replace NFL losses.

3. Ohio State

Ohio State has a lot of talent, and it gets to stay in the top three until it randomly loses by 28 to Nebraska or whoever. Then the Buckeyes won’t lose again, and they’ll be at the center of whatever Playoff controversy comes up in December, like always.

4. Georgia

The Dawgs are one of the four most talented teams, and by ranking them fourth, you establish yourself as a purist who respects them as one of the Four Best Teams. You can now spend the offseason pretending Clemson would not have obliterated UGA in the Playoff. Shun anyone who asks you about the Sugar Bowl. How can anyone expect a team like Georgia to get up for a puny non-Playoff bowl after being denied its rightful place in the big dance?

5. LSU

Did you see that Fiesta Bowl win against UCF, when the Tigers were without a bunch of original starters and dominated the yardage margin? They have championship upside.

6. Michigan

Now that Jim Harbaugh finally has his guys in place and any holdovers from the Brady Hoke era are gone, could this finally be the year he beats Ohio State? (No, but we’re going to keep doing this every year anyway.)

7. Oklahoma

The Sooners are locked into this spot by law every year now. Expect them to inch forward until they give up 650 yards to Texas in the Red River Shootout in Week 7, at which point they’ll fall to 14th before winning the Big 12 Championship and giving up 700 yards to Alabama or Clemson in a Playoff semifinal. Speaking of ...

8. Texas

Someone has to ride a big bowl win to a preseason top-10 ranking that has little merit. The team that was ranked preseason No. 23 each of the last two years (following seven- and six-loss seasons) meets all the qualifications for an overcooked bowl bump.

9. Whoever won the other New Year’s Six bowl

Uh, Florida. Yeah, them.

10. Washington

The Huskies slot here, because you, living near some densely populated city on the East Coast or in the Midwest, do not want to be accused of East Coast Bias, no matter how much the Pac-12 resembled an FCS conference this year.

11. Texas A&M

Refer to No. 8 and tweak the rules as needed to make them fit here.

12. Oregon

An NFL QB with great hair who surprisingly decided to stay in school? Check. An all-world defensive end signee whom media can use to pretend the defense will suddenly be good? Check. A national assumption that because Chip Kelly made Oregon into a national power, the Ducks will automatically get back there at some point or another? Check.

13. Auburn

As a serious pollster, you don’t want to get caught being too far off base on any one team. For Auburn, a spot smack dab in the middle of the poll is great, because anything from a national championship to an unranked finish is always in the realm of possibility.

14. Penn State

The appropriate spot for a Blue-Chip Ratio team that has no certain answer at quarterback and just lost its fourth game of the season to Kentucky. Not too high, not too low.

15. Washington State

The Cougars were awesome this year. Gardner Minshew’s leaving, so their typical status as a CHAOS TEAM is only further entrenched heading into 2019. Other than Wazzu actually winning the Apple Cup for a change, no outcome would be all that surprising, so play it safe.

16. Syracuse

The Orange were 20th heading into bowl season and then beat a ranked West Virginia. S&P+ had the Orange 36th, and their best win was against NC State, and they’re losing QB Eric Dungey and some other vital pieces. But by process of elimination, they probably need to slot somewhere around here. Maybe Dino Babers will reward your faith.

17. Virginia Tech

The Hokies just default to around this spot in every preseason poll, no matter what happened the year before. Anywhere between 13 and 20 is fine for them.

18. UCF

Did you see that Fiesta Bowl loss to LSU, when UCF was without its starting quarterback and finished 9 points shy of a 26th straight win? The Knights have been a fraud all along.

19. Kentucky

The Wildcats are hard to place. On the one hand, S&P+ said they were just outside the top 40 in 2018, and they could have easily lost to Vanderbilt, Missouri, Middle Tennessee, and Penn State, and they just lost their cornerstone running back to the NFL. On the other hand, you don’t want to be the subject of a Finebaum segment about the blatant disrespecting of the SEC East, so you do the right thing and find them a spot here for a few weeks.

20. Utah

The Utes are finishing between 17th and 25th. Everyone and their mothers knows that at this point, so why not start them off in that range for a change? It’s silly that Utah hasn’t appeared in a preseason AP Top 25 since 2009, when it was still in the Mountain West.

21. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs are losing a lot from a top-three S&P+ defense, but you’d think their offense will be better in a second year under offensive whiz Joe Moorhead. This looks like an appropriate starting point, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see MSU climb.

22. Wherever Jalen Hurts transfers

The likely transfer from Alabama, where he was 26-2 as a starter, will be lauded for Teaching The Young Guys How to Carry Themselves at [insert school]. He’ll also give his new team a top-30-ish QB, at least, and even if that team is, like, Maryland, it’ll draw tons of preseason hype. Don’t disrespect this narrative by keeping the [insert team nickname] out of your ranking. Instead, get in on the ground floor and ride to the penthouse later.

23. Northwestern

Far be it from you to spurn a Big Ten division champ, even if NU was the worst Power 5 division champ maybe ever. The joke will be on anyone who doubts you for ranking them here, when the Cats somehow clunk their way to an inexplicable 10 wins.

24. USC

There’s no good reason for the Trojans to be ranked, after they went 5-7, didn’t fire Clay Helton, and hired and maybe lost offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in less than a month. But your way-too-early top 25 isn’t a real way-too-early top 25 unless it badly overrates USC.

25. Nebraska

The Huskers finished with four wins in their last six games, including a close miss against Ohio State. It’s Scott Frost’s second year, and thus an undefeated record is inevitable.

Also receiving votes: North Carolina

Mack Brown will slick-talk the Heels to the precipice of the top 25 by August, as he does. Demonstrate your foresight by getting ahead of that particular curve.

[junker-town]

Super Bowl history: Ranking every game in 21st century from worst to best

With the Falcons and Patriots gearing up for Super Bowl 51, let’s take a look back at the best and worst games to be played this century.

The 2016 NFL playoffs have largely been a disappointment, with dull blowout games littering the schedule. Thankfully, we seem to have a great matchup on our hands for Super Bowl 51, with the Falcons taking on the Patriots. Given the recent history of classic Super Bowl matchups, they’ll have a high standard to clear.

The Super Bowl is the biggest game in American professional sports, but it hasn’t always lived up to its reputation. A long string of blowouts in the 80s, combined with the NFC’s domination in the 90s, has led to the derisive nickname of “the Super Bore” and casual viewers claiming they only watch for the commercials. Thankfully, the new century has brought with it significantly improved play and more even matchups, leading to some awe-inspiring games and moments that will live on history.

So as everyone gears up for the party in Houston, let’s take a look back at every game played in the 21st century, ranking them from worst to best.

17. 2001, Super Bowl 35 (Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7)

This Super Bowl will always have the uncomfortable aura of Ray Lewis winning Super Bowl MVP one year after being involved in a murder investigation. He didn’t even get the traditional “I’m going to Disneyland!” spot reserved for the MVP, which went to Trent Dilfer instead. But it doesn’t help that the game itself was a giant pile of nothing.

I like good defenses, and the 2000 Ravens defense is one of the best of all time, but that doesn’t always make for great TV. The Giants’ only score came on a kickoff return, and they were otherwise completely impotent. Kerry Collins threw four interceptions and completed just 15 of 39 passes. Credit to Baltimore’s defense for shutting down the Giants, but this game is not something you should go out of your way to see.

The worst part about this Super Bowl is that it gave Dilfer a ring, and thus a platform to keep vomiting words on ESPN 16 years later.

16. 2003, Super Bowl 37 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21)

This entire thing was an absurd spectacle off the field. Let’s just count the ways:

Jon Gruden got to face the team that traded him to the Bucs in the offseason.

New Raiders coach Bill Callahan didn’t change the playbook Gruden used, which meant the Bucs’ defense knew exactly what was coming.

On the day before the game, Raiders starting center Barret Robbins went missing. He ended up hospitalized and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, revealing that he partied in Tijuana having thought the Raiders already won the game. Needless to say, the backup center didn’t do so well against a fierce Bucs defensive line.

Nearly 10 years after the fact, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice accused Callahan of sabotaging the game by changing the game plan on the fly. We don’t know how much truth there is to this — it’s possible Callahan simply panicked after Robbins’ disappearance threw the offensive line into chaos — but it’s a strange story nonetheless.

All of that is way more interesting than the actual game, with the Bucs’ defense having its way and Rich Gannon throwing five picks. Unless you’re a Bucs fan, there’s not much worth revisiting here.

15. 2006, Super Bowl 40 (Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10)

I should be upfront with you, since the team makes several appearances on this list: I’m a born-and-bred Seahawks fan, and my personal biases may show here, so fair warning. There are many reasons why this game leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but here’s by far the biggest one — Jerramy Stevens was an absolutely horrible football player, and a terrible human being to boot, and he’s my least favorite player who’s ever donned a Seahawks uniform. He helped lose this game by himself. I hate him and will curse his name until my dying days.

Oh, and I guess there was something about the refs. I dunno.

14. 2016, Super Bowl 50 (Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10)

I have a feeling history will be kinder to this game, once more people start to truly appreciate how brilliant the Broncos’ defense was that year. But with the memory still fresh just one year later? Yeah, it’s kind of underwhelming. Cam Newton had no answers for the defensive onslaught, Peyton Manning and his dead arm barely did anything, and the whole outcome felt academic from the start. Pretty telling that the most memorable moment of this game happened after the game was over.

13. 2014, Super Bowl 48 (Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8)

For most of the country, it was a standard blowout snoozer, and Broncos fans would prefer to ignore it entirely. But like I said, I’m a Seahawks fan, and seeing your favorite team win the title for the first time is always an incredible memory, especially in such dominant fashion.

The Legion of Boom came into this game with the swagger of pro wrestling heels, and backed up their trash talk in defiant fashion. For three hours, we watched Peyton Manning and the league’s best offense get smashed in the teeth, and it was glorious ... if you’re a Seahawks fan, that is. I can understand why other people don’t dig this game as much.

12. 2007, Super Bowl 41 (Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17)

There are exactly two awesome moments here: Devin Hester’s opening kickoff touchdown, and Prince killing the halftime show in a torrential downpour. Other than that, does anyone actually remember anything about this game? It’s kinda strange that Peyton Manning’s two Super Bowl titles happen to be two of his least-remembered playoff performances.

Also, Rex Grossman started a Super Bowl game. That’s a real thing that happened.

11. 2011, Super Bowl 45 (Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25)

I don’t remember this game being bad, but it’s just — kind of there. The Steelers did make an impressive comeback from a 21-3 deficit, but for the most part Aaron Rodgers had the game well in hand, and the outcome was rarely in doubt. In an alternate timeline this might’ve ranked higher, but we’ve got a long parade of barn burners coming up, so Rodgers’ first (and to date, only) title win gets snubbed from the top 10. Sorry, Aaron.

10. 2005, Super Bowl 39 (New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21)

Yeah, you’re going to see a lot of Patriots games in the top 10, so strap yourselves in. The big story going into this one was the health of Terrell Owens, who broke his leg in the regular season on a horse-collar tackle that ultimately led to the NFL banning the move.

TO miraculously came back for this game and had a performance for the ages, racking up nine catches for 122 yards. Unfortunately, that mostly got overshadowed in the loss. This featured the typical hallmarks of an Andy Reid game, with questionable clock management, abandoning the run too early, and Reid generally looking confused on the sidelines. There was also some weird drama about whether Donovan McNabb really puked in the huddle on the Eagles’ final drive (which ended in an interception, because the Eagles can’t have nice things).

Good game, but probably the least memorable of the Pats’ Super Bowl wins.

9. 2012, Super Bowl 46 (New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17)

Playoff Eli Manning makes his first appearance on this list, in his second time slaying the Patriots. The 2011 Giants are one of the weirdest Super Bowl champions ever — they won a bad NFC East division at 9-7, before going on to beat the 15-1 Packers and 13-3 49ers to get to the Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin made the playoffs five times in his 12-year career. Three of those appearances were one-and-done, while the other two ended with Super Bowl parades. I don’t get it.

Anyway, the Giants and Patriots go back and forth here in a game that’s tense and exciting, if lacking the historical value of the Giants’ last Super Bowl victory (more on that later). Mario Manningham was the unlikely hero this time, making an incredible toe-tapping catch that kept the Giants’ final drive alive down two points. Ahmad Bradshaw eventually finished the job, and for once, Brady couldn’t engineer a game-winning score. The sequel didn’t quite live up to the original Pats/Giants game, but this is still really good.

8. 2010, Super Bowl 44 (New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17)

Remember when the Saints had a good defense? I’m already nostalgic for those days. The final score doesn’t really reflect it, but this was a tensely fought battle for most of the day. The Saints’ offense sputtered in the first half and needed a spark down 10-6 at halftime, so Sean Payton made one of the great cojones decisions by starting the second half with an onside kick. New Orleans recovered and Drew Brees led a touchdown drive, turning the game around. Tracy Porter sealed the deal with a 74-yard pick-six that became a perfectly iconic moment in Saints history.

Well-played football, an outcome that was regularly in doubt, memorable images, and a downtrodden franchise finally climbing the mountain. It was also a therapeutic moment for the city of New Orleans, which just four years prior was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Seeing the citizens rally around their team as they rebuilt the city was truly something to behold.

In other words, 2010 was the best Mardi Gras party of all time.

7. 2004, Super Bowl 38 (New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29)

Teams making their first Super Bowl appearance can go one of several ways. They could shrivel and die under the spotlight (like the Falcons did in their first trip in 1999). They could straight-up whoop an overmatched team (Ravens in 2001, Bucs in 2003). Or they could do what the Panthers did, which is go toe-to-toe with a better opponent, nearly pull off the win, but ultimately come up just short.

The Panthers entered the fourth quarter down, 21-10, but made a spirited comeback down the stretch. Muhsin Muhammad delivered one of the best moments in franchise history with an 85-yard touchdown pass, giving Carolina a one-point lead. They tied the game at 29-29 later on, but suffered a fatally unlucky bounce when John Kasay shanked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, setting up Tom Brady at his 40-yard line. Brady had little trouble setting up Adam Vinatieri for the game-winning field goal, but the Panthers had a performance to be proud of.

This is also the Super Bowl where Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake did a thing at the halftime show. You might have heard about that.

6. 2000, Super Bowl 34 (St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16)

“One Yard Short” is one of the most famous plays in football history, so of course this was always going to rank high. It actually had a legitimate claim to being the best Super Bowl ever, until teams decided to have instant classics year after year as the 2000s went on. Still, it’s a great game that deserves to be remembered as such, cementing the Greatest Show on Turf as a staple in NFL lore.

Who would’ve guessed that this would be the peak of both the Rams franchise and Jeff Fisher’s career?

5. 2013, Super Bowl 47 (Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31)

For two quarters, this game was a laugher. The Ravens raced out to a 21-6 halftime lead, and when Jacoby Jones took the opening second-half kickoff to the house everybody and their mother was ready to write this off as another Super Bore. Then the Superdome lost power, and all hell broke loose.

After more than 30 minutes of the CBS broadcast running around with its hair on fire, the game finally resumed and the 49ers remembered they had a Super Bowl to play. San Francisco ripped off 17 unanswered points to make this game interesting again. Colin Kaepernick brought his team to within two points with a rushing touchdown, but that’s the closest the 49ers got, as the Ravens made a game-clinching goal-line stand in the final minutes.

Between the power outage, the unexpected comeback, and Beyonce doing Beyonce things at halftime, this was a wildly entertaining spectacle that won’t soon be forgotten.

4. 2002, Super Bowl 36 (New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17)

The game that launched a dynasty. With the Kurt Warner-led Rams offense still in top form, the Patriots were massive 14-point underdogs. This is the first time, but far from the last, that people counted out Touchdown Tom and ate their words. Bill Belichick dialed up a perfect game plan, playing to his team’s strengths while exploiting his opponent’s weaknesses.

The Pats’ defense bottled up the Rams for most of the game, but Warner wouldn’t be denied for long. He hit Ricky Proehl in the end zone to tie the game up with 1:30 to go, and the excitement reached a fevered pitch. Would this be the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime? Of course, this is the moment that Brady became a made man in the NFL. He drove the Pats down the field with ease, eventually settling on the Rams’ 30-yard line and setting up Vinatieri for the game-winning field goal. The Pats finished off a huge upset, and the NFL would never be the same again.

3. 2009, Super Bowl 43 (Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23)

Kurt Warner’s late-career revival with the Cardinals is one of the better feel-good stories of this century, and it all culminated with the franchise’s first-ever trip to a Super Bowl. They came up short in a heartbreaking loss, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

This game has some truly incredible moments that quickly became mainstays in Super Bowl highlight reels. There’s the ageless James Harrison making a 100-yard pick-six. There is Warner rallying the Cardinals from a 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit. There is Larry Fitzgerald giving his team the lead with just 2:37 left, on a 64-yard touchdown. And, of course, there is Ben Roethlisberger driving his team down the field on a perfect two-minute drill, ending with a spectacular touchdown catch by Santonio Holmes where he barely dragged his toes in-bounds.

This had pretty much everything you could want out of a Super Bowl — competitive throughout, constant swing of emotions, and star players making star plays. Even the halftime show was decent — the NFL was still in the post-Nipplegate era of trotting out inoffensive dad bands, but Bruce Springsteen is always a good time. The only reason I can’t rank this higher is because it spawned the awful “SIXBURGH” catchphrase.

2. 2008, Super Bowl 42 (New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14)

And here’s the game that put “18-1” in the national lexicon. With Tom Brady gladly feeding Randy Moss, the Patriots’ offense was an unstoppable juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time. How could the Giants possibly hope to keep up with them?

Well, we got our answer pretty quickly — New York’s defensive line wasn’t going to give Brady any room to breathe. Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck joined forces to rain down hellfire upon Brady. The Giants sacked him five times and pressured him countless others, never allowing the Pats’ offense to find its groove. The defense did all it could, but it finally cracked near the end ��� Brady hit Moss for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 14-10 lead with 2:42 left. The Giants would need a lucky break or two if they wanted to pull the upset.

Oh, what a lucky break they got.

You already know the play. You can picture it in your head even without seeing a GIF — Eli Manning taking the snap, getting wrapped up by Richard Seymour, and somehow not going down. He slips the easy sack and unleashes a prayer of a deep ball. That prayer got answered in the form of David Tyree and his helmet. First down at the Patriots’ 24-yard line.

A few plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone, giving the Giants the lead back with 29 seconds left. Did they leave too much time for Brady? It didn’t matter — a sack and three incomplete passes later, the Giants denied the Pats history.

And that’s how Eli Manning has more Super Bowl MVPs than his older brother.

1. 2015, Super Bowl 49 (New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24)

It hurts putting this at No. 1. Most Seahawks fans are loath to ever mention it. But after looking over the list and doing some soul-searching, I don’t think there’s much of a contest.

Let’s go over the teams first. The Pats are once again in the Super Bowl, but the rumors that eventually became known as DeflateGate were already swirling. The Seahawks, fresh off smacking down the Broncos a year ago, were looking to win their second straight Super Bowl and establish themselves as the team of the 2010s. Vegas could barely decide on the winner, with this game being a pick’em. Both teams had big talent and even bigger personalities, leading to a heated atmosphere on the field. The stage was set for a classic long before the opening kickoff.

The game itself was tightly contested throughout. Brady and the Pats would pull away, only for Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch to bring the Seahawks back. New England seemingly had the halftime lead secure when Rob Gronkowski scored with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, but Wilson quickly marched down the field and hit Chris Matthews (CHRIS MATTHEWS!) in the final seconds. The teams went into the locker room tied at 14-14, and you could already tell this had the makings of something special.

Katy Perry did the halftime show. She rode a giant mechanized dinosaur to the stage, and Left Shark became a cultural icon. That alone could’ve put this at No. 1, but the fireworks were just getting started.

A field goal and Doug Baldwin touchdown gave Seattle a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but deep down, we all knew that Brady could not be counted out. Sure enough, he hit Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman for touchdowns on consecutive drives to give the Pats the lead again.

With just two minutes left, the Seahawks had to pull something out of the hat once again. They seemingly had that thrilling, franchise-defining moment when Jermaine Kearse made a ridiculous juggling catch down near the end zone. One play later, the Seahawks were just two yards away from repeating as champions and reaching NFL immortality.

Then the play happened. That play. The play that made Malcolm Butler a household name, that made both fans and pundits curse Seattle for not running the ball, that made Richard Sherman really sad. When the dust settled, Brady got his fourth ring and third Super Bowl MVP, while the Seahawks never quite seemed to recover from that heartbreak.

Everything that perfectly encapsulates the Super Bowl can be found in this one game. Brilliant football from both teams, unexpected players stepping up in huge moments, elation and anguish in equal measure, a halftime show that was both absurd and entertaining. It’s the platonic ideal of America’s biggest game, and we probably won’t see another like it for a long time.

This is the best Super Bowl of the 21st century. I never want to watch it again.