Roman Numeral Classic

Super Bowl XLIX has a lot of questions that need answered.

First, why isn't it Super Bowl IL?  Isn't that the proper Roman numeral for 49?  Or is the NFL so diseased at this point, it doesn't want anything construed as ill?

In the interest of full disclosure, let it be known that I have been a Seahawk fan since Jack Patera was the head coach.  He had a quarterback named Jim Zorn, fresh from being cut by the Dallas Cowboys. He learned to run for his life early, which makes sense on an expansion team.  They won four games that first season, four more than the other expansion team that year: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The New England Patriots come off one of the best performances I've ever seen in a Conference Championship game.  The Seattle Seahawks come off one of the worst performances I've ever seen in a Conference Championship game, and the worst one I have ever seen advance to a Super Bowl.  It seems cut and dried that the Patriots are one their way to a victory.

I kind of have that feeling with one caveat.  If Seattle can run the football with tremendous abandon, at the clip of 200 yards or more for the game, it would be very difficult to overcome.  In fact, the opportunity exists for the Seahawks to play their best game, something that may not exist for the Patriots.

The game may hinge on the availability of Max Unger.  He has been on the sideline for all four Seahawk losses this season, and they played like dog meat without him in the Conference Championship game.  Only tremendous acts of will and God's grace allowed the Seahawks to advance.  Max Unger''s unifying force could change the outlook of this game.

My choice?  I believe the Seahawks will pull this game out.  It will take a large amount of rushing yards to keep the Seahawks ahead.  The lack of a turnover would strengthen the Seahawk case.

Seattle 24, New England 21.  The only deflated balls in this one will Tom Brady's, after three interceptions.

So...am I off base?