Well, we all knew this was coming.
The conclusion to another football season has almost arrived, bringing with it a torturous wait for a new season. Soon, fans will have to fill their Sundays watching basketball or whatever goofy Winter Olympic sport is on at the time. I, for one, am not looking forward to it.
But as I watched the Golden Globes last Sunday, an idea came to my head. Why not have a little fun as another wild NFL season ends? Why not combine two things I love-football and movies-and bring them together in column?
Let’s take the four NFL teams still in the playoffs and match them up against the four movies I most enjoyed this past year. If this column can bring football fans and movie buffs closer together, then I’ve done my job.
Note: These are my favorite films of the year, so don’t feel confused when one of the movies on this list was not nominated for best picture. I can’t explain why the academy did not enjoy the two hours of great dialogue and guitar porn that was Inside Llewyn Davis, but whatever.
4. New England Patriots- Inside Llewyn Davis
Sure, at first glance, these two may not seem to go together. But their storylines relate to each other the more you research them.
The first thing to look at is the men in charge. Bill Belichick is not afraid make risky game decisions, like taking the wind instead of the ball in overtime of the Patriots win over the Broncos earlier in the season. Similarly, the Coen Brothers are not afraid to do a remake of The Odyssey, like they did with O Brother Where Art Thou. For me, their ability to think outside the box should be cherished.
Looking into the actual movie/team, one similarity stands out: a lack of holes. Llewyn Davis never jumps out at you, but you’re never let down with bad acting or writing. Similarly, while it may seem like the Patriots have a new starting running back every week, all four of their losses were by seven points or less.
So I guess what I’m saying here is to not sleep on these guys. If you have yet to see Llewyn Davis, go find the one theater in your city that is actually showing it. And before you lay money on Denver, think twice about betting against the Hoodie.
3. San Francisco 49ers- American Hustle
These are the two that are on the rise.
While some Oscar contenders have been on the sidelines since November, American Hustle has made a killing at the box office and just received 10 Oscar nominations. The 49ers own the longest winning streak in the NFL and are healthier than they’ve been all season.
Few directors have had as much success as David O. Russell, whose last three movies (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, Hustle) have all been nominated for Best Picture. And few coaches have been as good as Jim Harbaugh, whose last three seasons have ended with a conference championship appearance or better.
American Hustle was a good movie, and then became great when Jennifer Lawrence came in. The 49ers were a team good enough to make the playoffs, but became a real contender once wide receiver Michael Crabtree rejoined the team from injury.
The thing about these two is that both could win it all in years where competition was not so stiff. It is hard to watch these two only scoop up nominations and conference title appearances, but that’s the way it is sometimes.
2. Seattle Seahawks- Gravity
I think the biggest similarity between these two is the way people perceive them depending on where and when they are.
Saints fans learned a second time last week how difficult things can be when the Seahawks are playing at Quest Field. Seattle is now 16-1 in the last two years at home.
Meanwhile, Gravity is a well-acted movie on paper, but in a 3D Imax setting, it compelled my sports editor so much that he had to write an entertainment column about the movie. I don’t blame him, Gravity takes you into space and does not let go for two hours, especially in the IMAX 3D setting.
But this is the reason I have doubts about these two winning it all. What is going to happen when Seattle is not playing with the loudest fans in football on their side, and what happens when Gravity goes against movies that don’t make you pay an extra six bucks to take your breath away?
The Seahawks’ dominance at home is the central reason one can’t bet against them on Sunday, and the beauty of Gravity is why director Alfonso Cuarón deserves a Best Director Oscar. But for me, these two simply aren’t at the same level as the next team or movie.
1. Denver Broncos-12 Years a Slave
I’m going to make this clear before I go any further: I, in no way am going to things the traumatizing storyline of 12 Years to a football team. I am not a fool, and I understand the substance of this movie and a sports franchise are two far different things.
Here is what I will say: These two deserve to win it all this year. It does not matter that the track records of the men in charge (John Fox and Steve McQueen) aren’t phenomenal, the supporting cast for Denver (Knowshon Moreno and their plethora of receivers) and 12 Years (Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano) make up for it.
Perhaps you forgot how much buzz these two were getting back in November, but I have not. These two should be holding the grand prize by the end of their respective Sunday nights, because these are the movies/teams we should remember when we think of 2013.
Of course, things don’t always work out that way. Sometimes the Giants will beat the undefeated Patriots, and sometimes Dances with Wolves will beat Goodfellas.
That’s the cool thing about movies and sports: You can debate all you want, but you never really know what will happen. The best advice I can give is to sit back and enjoy the show.
Contact Tommy Romanach at [email protected]