(Associated Press) Results of a survey released today by the Sport and Leisure Research Group indicate that almost 80 percent of mainstream sports columnists and on air personalities identify either the goal posts or the field dimensions as a significant “X-factor” for Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday. LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke elaborates on this line of thinking:
“Everybody wants to look at this game and talk about Manning or Brees, but most people really overlook the role of the goalposts in this game. I mean, these are the things that the footballs have to travel through to score field goals or extra points, so look for the kickers to be aiming at these things. Hugely important, and yet, its surprising how they’re underestimated.”
Appearing on the Mike and Mike in the Morning show on ESPN Radio and ESPN 2, former Super Bowl champion and current analyst Mark Schlereth espoused a similar sentiment:
“You know, these NFL field dimensions, and by that I mean the sidelines, and the end zone area, has just been doing their jobs as well as anything for at least a decade now. I mean, you’re really not gonna find something or someone that keeps players in the field of play so well and so consistently, so look for those to have a huge impact on this game. So that’s my X-factor.”
According to the SLRG survey, and additional ten percent of experts identified official NFL rules as their “X-factor,” while only one percent identified Reggie Bush. ESPN analyst Merrill Hoge notes that Bush’s performance is far too unpredictable to be considered a reliable “X-factor.”
In a related story, surprising information from the survey indicates that an overwhelming majority of respondents inexplicably bought thousands of shares of Google stock as it was hitting its historical peak of $700 in October 2007.
