Super Bowl XLIX is only a few days away. The big game will be here before you know it, so it's time to figure out which team you should root for if you haven't already.
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Thankfully for Eagles fans, there isn't a division rival playing in the championship game. The Dallas Cowboys were eliminated by the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional round.
So with that out of the way, the two teams left at the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. There's reason to believe Eagles fans will be leaning one way over the other, but let's take a closer look at each team.
New England Patriots
I wrote about why the Patriots are one of the Eagles' biggest non-division rivals in the summer. They were the first team that came to mind:
"Super Bowl XXXIX will forever be a huge disappointment. After three straight years of heart- breaking NFC Championship Game defeats, the Eagles finally got over the hump and made it to the big game. Philadelphia battled it out with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick but ultimately fell short. If Eagles fans could pick any AFC team to win a Super Bowl against, I can't see how it wouldn't be the Patriots. (Enter line about the spy gate conspiracy theory.)
Let's not forget that this is the team who played a part in the Giants somehow winning two Super Bowls in the recent past.
From a player and team perspective, the Eagles and Patriots seem far from bitter rivals. The teams participated in joint training camp practices last year and will likely do so again this offseason. Belichick is friends with Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who just so happens to have been born in New Hampshire. Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie, a Boston native, is also from the New England region."
Not all players are friendly with the Patriots, of course. Eagles cornerback Cary Williams think they're cheaters. And given the whole #DeflateGate drama, well, how good could you really feel about seeing a Patriots team like this win it all?
And how could Eagles fans really stomach seeing Patrick Chung win a ring one year after how poorly he played for Philadelphia? Can you imagine if he somehow won Super Bowl MVP?!
I can't see how many Eagles fans would be happy with a Patriots win.
Seattle Seahawks
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Unlike with the Patriots, the Eagles don't really have much of a beef with the reigning champions. That kind of seems a little weird given the fact they play in the same conference.
The Seahawks beat the Eagles in Week 14 of the regular season. The game wasn't even really as close as the score indicated. Mark Sanchez and the Philadelphia offense was shut down by Seattle's top-ranked defense. The Seahawks talked trash about the Eagles after the game, which was a little odd and unnecessary.
But despite this, I think the Seahawks are a really fun team. Their defense is awesome. The secondary is loaded with talented player such as Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Byron Maxwell, and... what's his name? Earl Thomas? You may have heard of him.
Their offense can be fun too. Marshawn Lynch runs harder than anyone. Russell Wilson is the quarterback that the Eagles should have taken in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Eagles were very wrong to pass over him three times. "'If the Eagles draft me, I will lead the Eagles to championships," is what he used to text Eagles scouts. Instead, he's leading Seattle to championships.
Some people are annoyed by the Seahawks. That's fine. They're not everyone's cup of tea. But while they might be annoying, it's hard to deny their greatness. It's not easy at all to win a single Super Bowl, let alone two in a row. And they're very close to doing just that.
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Who's your pick?