You’ve heard it mentioned countless times since the conclusion of conference championship weekend… this year’s Super Bowl is a repeat of the closely contested matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in 2008. It’s an unforgettable game, highlighted by David Tyree’s famous on-the-helmet catch, that was soon followed by a Plaxico Burress touchdown reception to give Big Blue a lead they’d hold onto to win the the coveted Lombardi Trophy.
But despite how badly that loss may have stung for the Pats, receiver Wes Welker swears that he isn’t out for vengeance when these two teams take the field this coming Sunday. “We haven’t really talked about [getting revenge] all that much,” he said. “We’ve just been trying to focus on the game and not really worry about that stuff. There are a lot of guys that weren’t even here for that game so we’re just trying to gear in and do the best we can.”
When asked if he and his teammates were rooting for the Giants to beat the Packers in the NFC championship game so that they’d be able to have a rematch, Welker said, “We were just happy to be going to the Super Bowl and we didn’t care who we were going to play or what the deal was. It’s the Giants and that’s who’s in our way, and we have to go out there and play our best.”
With the biggest game of the year just a few days in the future, many football players, perhaps superstitiously, make sure to stick to their daily routines in order to avoid getting thrown off mentally. “I just try and keep everything the same,” Welker said. “There are no habits I have to do. I just try and warm myself up. I do listen to Kings of Leon, they’re kinda my group that gets me going.”
In the mean time, both teams are practicing hard and enjoying their time in Indianapolis as much as they can when there’s time off. Welker said that some of the Patriots got a chance to go into the city last night to grab some dinner and hang out. But the closer Sunday gets, the more focused each and every player will be on the task at hand. Welker might not have said it, but there’s no doubt that he and every other New England Patriot wants nothing in the world more than a victory and a big, shiny ring.
