| Super Bowl Fantasies | |
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One of the features of many professional sports simulation games is that they rely on chart after chart of player statistics, and thus take quite a long time to play. There are also many games that don't rely on any charts and are quicker to finish, but playing them has no relationship to real teams.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and I've enjoyed both types of games.
One company that tries to bridge the gap is Fast-Action Sports, run by Pat Premo. Fast-Action's games are very quick to play, but also are based on real teams from the past. Every team has been rated offensively and defensively. Strength of schedule and other factors are considered, and some teams have earned a home field rating. A few have a "comeback" rating that makes close games more exciting.
Recently, Pat took a little time and played a pair of games using historic versions of the four teams remaining in the Super Bowl hunt this year.
In his first game, the 1969 Minnesota Vikings (who lost Super Bowl IV to the Kansas City Chiefs) took on the 1986 New York Giants (who won Super Bowl XXI over the Denver Broncos).
vs.
1986 New York Giants
The '69 Vikings, coached by the legendary Bud Grant, were 13-point favorites going into Super Bowl IV. They lost by 16.
The '86 Giants, despite trailing the Broncos 10-9 at halftime, dominated the second half and won 39-20 behind their quarterback and Super Bowl MVP, Phil Simms.
Premo's game between these two teams turned out to be very tight. "Playing at home gave the Giants the edge," he said. "My guess is that Minnesota would have won had they played at home."
| 1969 Minnesota Vikings | 19 |
| 1986 New York Giants | 20 |
In Premo's second game, the 1948 Cleveland Browns (the franchise which decades later moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens) took on the 1976 Oakland Raiders (who won Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings).
vs.
1976 Oakland Raiders
The '48 Browns went undefeated in the AAFC, beating the likes of the Los Angeles Dons, the Chicago Rockets, the New York (football) Yankees and the Brooklyn (football) Dodgers. They won the championship game over the Buffalo Bills, 49-7.
The '76 Raiders handed the Vikings their fourth Super Bowl loss in eight years, winning 32-14 as Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler outplayed his Vikings counterpart Fran Tarkenton.
This matchup also turned out to be very close, Premo said, "as the Browns scored two late touchdowns to tie the game, only to have the Raiders kick a field goal with time expiring to win the game." He believes that Cleveland would have won if the game were on their home field.
| 1948 Cleveland Browns | 31 |
| 1976 Oakland Raiders | 34 |
So who will win this year's Super Bowl? My pick: The Green Bay Packers. (What? You say they're out of it?!? Posh, I say. The Pack is never out of it!)
