Pro Bowl disputes NFC myth

Wow! What happened Sunday in the Pro Bowl?

AFC 41, NFC 13.

Was that an aberration or what? Is this the same conference that has lost the last 11 Super Bowls 100-3 every year?

I guess if the AFC could put its All-Stars out there against the 49ers or the Cowboys, the poor conference might actually compete.

The AFC's futility against the NFC can be attributed to this: The AFC has a tendency to focus more on defense and running offenses, while the NFC tends to be more wide-open (kind of like Jerry Rice all day in the Super Bowl), focusing on the all-around game.

Ever wonder why all the stars in the AFC are on defense or are running backs Ä Natrone Means, Barry Foster, Bruce Smith Ä while great passing-game names like Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Steve Young dominate the NFC?

The AFC has become the minor league in the NFL. They are the Almost Football Conference. The greatest motivating factor for the AFC to raise itself to NFC caliber is the fact that this year's AFC Super Bowl

team, San Diego, has been likened to an NFC team.

This sort of comparison lends to the thought that everyone has conceded that the NFC is the best.

Is there any hope?

Well, you'll hear it here first.

The New England Patriots, with NFC-bred coach Bill Parcells, are building a legitimate team and they will be the first to break the NFC dominance.

Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the New England offense, combined with a young 'D', will only get better. The Pats are reminiscent of the Dallas Cowboys' resurgence in the early '90s.

Give Parcells another year or two and we will finally see another AFC world champ.

ù ù ù

Now, let's switch from the consistency of the NFC to the inconsistency of Arizona basketball.

Sitting through another blowout at McKale Center last Saturday, I wondered if anyone but me has realized that this team is in trouble.

The 30-point blowouts of Washington are great, but just a short time ago the Wildcats were reeling from a home loss to UCLA.

Should Arizona expect to win every home game?

Well, the answer is that the UA is supposedly a top 10 program and Arizona should not be losing to any team, even UCLA, at home.

The team this year is about as deep and solid, on paper, as any team in the country. The team, on the court, is about as shallow and porous as, say, a dam waiting to burst.

The continued reliance upon Damon Stoudamire in tough situations, and the far too anticipated return of freshman Miles Simon are two reasons why the Wildcats are in trouble.

Are we supposed to believe a freshman is the missing key to this team?

I don't see Connecticut or North Carolina relying on a freshman. Sure, they play and contribute, as Miles has this season, but they are not the cornerstone or saviour.

The team needs big guys to step up. Joseph Blair is starting to show signs of leadership and Ben Davis' butterflies are wearing off. But they have yet to come through in big games (Syracuse, UCLA, Arizona State).

This team needs to find someone, anyone, to help Damon out. They cannot pin our hopes to a freshman or another 40-point Stoudamire performance.

Unless this team finds another go-to guy, I just hope Santa Clara doesn't make the tournament.

Patrick Moran is a business and public administration senior Ä and he is always right.

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