Game Before The Game Heats Up
Troy Brown and Steve Smith will see if they can push 989's record to 9-0.
Published: January 26, 2004
Say what you will about 989 Sports' GameDay series, but the Sony Computer Entertainment America sports offshoot's gridiron sim has predicted the Super Bowl outcome accurately eight years running, and they aim to make it nine. Every year, 989 pulls a rep from the competing Super Bowl teams and has them square off in a game before the Big Game (hence that oh so fitting title).
This year, Troy Brown from the Patriots and the Panthers' Steve Smith will go head to head, though this is Troy's second year and with a win in both the GBTG and the Super Bowl, he has the obvious advantage. Whether this translates into a win on the digital and literal turf is another matter, but Brown's being familiar with the whole process certainly adds a bit of challenge for Smith.
"After the Super Bowl I had some time to think and there was definitely some pressure creeping when I was playing in the 'Game Before The Game,'" explained the Bucs' Keenan McCardell, last year's champ over the Raiders' Charlie Garner. "Because of the undefeated record of the 'Game Before The Game' predicting the winner of the Super Bowl, I knew we had a good chance, but I didn't want to let it get to me. I'm happy the record is still intact because that means we won the Super Bowl."
Previous winners have included the aforementioned McCardell and Brown, Marshall Faulk, Qadry Ismail and Terrell Davis. This year's GBTG will be hosted by Deion Sanders and Pat O'Brien from Access Hollywood. The whole shindig goes down this Wednesday (that'd be the 28th) at 7:00PM in Houston at Hotel ICON. We'll be sure to let you in on the results as soon as they're made available.
This year, Troy Brown from the Patriots and the Panthers' Steve Smith will go head to head, though this is Troy's second year and with a win in both the GBTG and the Super Bowl, he has the obvious advantage. Whether this translates into a win on the digital and literal turf is another matter, but Brown's being familiar with the whole process certainly adds a bit of challenge for Smith.
"After the Super Bowl I had some time to think and there was definitely some pressure creeping when I was playing in the 'Game Before The Game,'" explained the Bucs' Keenan McCardell, last year's champ over the Raiders' Charlie Garner. "Because of the undefeated record of the 'Game Before The Game' predicting the winner of the Super Bowl, I knew we had a good chance, but I didn't want to let it get to me. I'm happy the record is still intact because that means we won the Super Bowl."
Previous winners have included the aforementioned McCardell and Brown, Marshall Faulk, Qadry Ismail and Terrell Davis. This year's GBTG will be hosted by Deion Sanders and Pat O'Brien from Access Hollywood. The whole shindig goes down this Wednesday (that'd be the 28th) at 7:00PM in Houston at Hotel ICON. We'll be sure to let you in on the results as soon as they're made available.
