Super Bowl Picks - Nine Years Strong!

In honor of the Super Bowl in Miami, here's Miami Steve:



And, in honor of terrible guessing, here's our picks:

OB: Chiefs 37, 49ers 27 (Overall 3-5)
Rory: Chiefs 37, 49ers 34 (Overall 3-5)
Steve: 49ers 20, Chiefs 7 (Overall 4-4)

Super Bowl Picks

You know the deal.



OB: Rams 38, Patriots 31 (Overall 3-4)
Rory: Rams 35, Patriots 34 (Overall 3-4)
Steve: Patriots 45, Rams 38 (Overall 3-4)

Legends of Springsteen's Legendary Super Bowl Picks!

Sure, this blog is just sputtering along, with only a handful of posts the last six months.  But, never fear!  We're back, with what you've all been craving: our Super Bowl picks!  Let 'er rip:

OB: Patriots 34, Eagles 28 (Overall 3-3)

Rory: Patriots 23, Eagles 20 (Overall 3-3)

Steve: Patriots 45, Eagles 7 (Overall 3-3)

There you have it.  With a combined record of 9-9, you can take those picks to the bank.  Or don't take them.  Let's end with something by quasi-related:

Enjoy the big game!

Legends of Springsteen's Super Bowl Picks - Celebrating Six Crappy Years!

Boy, are we gluttons for punishment.  After five years, and a robust 6-9 in just picking a game straight up, we're back for yet another round of the worst Super Bowl predictions you'll read on a Springsteen fanblog.  Here we go:

OB: Patriots 45, Falcons 21 (Overall 2-3)
Rory: Patriots 28, Falcons 27 (Overall 2-3)
Steve: Patriots 23, Falcons 7 (Overall 2-3)

I still cling to my glorious 2012 pick, where I actually called the exact score.

Anyway, since the Super Bowl is in Houston this year, here's Bruce singing about living on the streets of Houston with "Seeds" - live in Houston! How's that for synergy!

Legends of Springsteen's Super Bowl Picks!

Hoo-boy.  Here we go again.  Despite nobody asking, we here at Legends of Springsteen are predicting the Super Bowl, yet again.  Last year, we all gave you the Seahawks, and look how that turned out.  Combined, we are a total 4-8.  So....I guess we're due!  Here we go:

OB: Broncos 38, Panthers 34 (overall 1-3)

Rory: Panthers 35, Broncos 10 (overall 2-2)

Steve: Broncos 35, Panthers 31 (overall 1-3)

Now, to keep this Springsteen related, here's "The River".  Why?  Well, we're in the mist of the River tour, and the Panthers head coach is Ron "River"-a.  Do you have a better Springsteen song pun for either the Panthers or Broncos?  Let us know in the comments.

Legends Of Springsteen's Super Bowl Picks!

The big game is this Sunday, and, keeping our tradition alive, we here at Legends Of Springsteen have crunched the numbers vigorously and have come up with our best predictions.  Here we go!

OB: Seahawks 28, New England 17 (overall 1-2)
Rory: Seahawks 27, New England 24 (overall 2-1)
Steve: Seahawks 45, New England 35 (overall 1-2)

We've written extensively about Springsteen and football throughout the years, so to get yourself set for the pigskin this weekend, check out our older articles:

2012: A look back on Springsteen's famous half-time show

2013: Springsteen's songs about sports

2014: A Springsteen song for every NFL team

I'll leave you with a song for the Patriots, "Prove It All Night".  Because, if there's anyone who knows how to steal, to cheat, to lie, it'd be Bill Belichick.

Bruce covers Van Halen

Yep, it's another cover that I wouldn't have suspected in a million years.  This past weekend, as part of the NCAA Final Four celebration, Bruce played a full concert in Dallas, kicking it off by covering Van Halen's "Jump".  Now, I love Van Halen, but this is just getting crazy.  What does Van Halen have to do with Dallas or the NCAA tournament?  Yeah, I know basketball players "jump".  But come on, he's really stretching on this one, even more than Rory did with his Springsteen songs for every NBA Team.  And the jump ball was pretty cheesy.  It reminded me a lot of Bruce's Super Bowl Half Time performance in 2009.  The music is great but bringing out a referree is not needed at all.

However, Rory and I will be at the Virginia Beach show on Saturday, and I can't wait to see what he busts out for that show.  God willing it will be more 80's metal.

Springsteen and Advertising

While I was watching the Super Bowl, I was depressed to see Bob Dylan in a truly awful commercial for Chrysler. What was worse? The shot of him looking at his own album or the casually racist ending? I wasn't alone in my distaste for the commercial.

It struck me that you would never see Bruce in a commercial like this. Even though most music scholars would say that Bob Dylan is the more artistically accomplished of the two artists, you have to give credit to Bruce for never doing something this shamefully commercial. Yes, Bruce may lend his music to MLB commercials and debut his songs on The Good Wife, but he wouldn't debase his star persona like this.

A Springsteen Song For Every NFL Team

With the Super Bowl in New Jersey, what better way to celebrate your love of the NFL than with a Springsteen song for every team!  Now, some of these are a stretch, but we'll explain along the way!

New York Jets - "New York City Serenade"

The Jets always struck me as more "New York" than the Giants, so we'll give them this song.  Plus, there's a way better one for the Giants later on.



Buffalo Bills - "Buffalo Gals"

Yes, cover songs are permitted.



New England Patriots - "Chimes of Freedom"

They are patriots, and they love freedom!  Well, it was either than, or "Murder Inc." for Aaron Hernandez.



Miami Dolphins - "Bobby Jean"

This song was written as a tribute to Steven Van Zandt, whose nickname was "Miami Steve".  This is the first of, I assure you, many ridiculous leaps.



Pittsburgh Steelers - "A Good Man Is Hard To Find (Pittsburgh)"

Just read the title.



Baltimore Ravens - "Hungry Heart"

One of Springsteen's most iconic lines: Got a wife and kids in Baltimore Jack...



Cincinnati Bengals - "Kitty's Back"

The Bengals are part of a cat family, as are kittens.  Stick with me!



Cleveland Browns - "Johnny 99"

The judge in this song?  Mean John Brown.  Also, being a fan of the Browns can seem like a life sentence.



Indianapolis Colts - "Lucky Town"

Andrew Luck.  Horseshoes are lucky.  Lucky Town.  Easy choice, right?



Jacksonville Jaguars - "Jackson Cage"

I already used "Kitty's Back" for the Bengals.  "Jackson" in both the song and the city is good enough for me.



Tennessee Titans - "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"

Another reach.  They both start with "Ten".  Don't complain, Titans fans; it's still a fantastic song.



Houston Texans - "Galveston Bay"

It's close to Houston.  Duh.



Kansas City Chiefs - "Mary Queen of Arkansas"

Arkansas.  ArKANSAS.  Here's you song, dudes.



Oakland Raiders - "Goin' Cali"

Of the three California teams, I'm giving this to the Raiders, for no particular reason.

San Diego Chargers - "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"

San Diego is honored by getting a direct shout-out in a fantastic song.  I know a pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way.  Another option was "The River", in honor of Philip Rivers, but screw that guy.



Denver Broncos - "Pony Boy"

One of Bruce's more homo-erotic song goes for one of the two teams named after horses.  I was considering "Old Dan Tucker", since Peyton Manning is an old man chucker and "Rocky Ground" for the Rocky Mountains.



New York Giants - "Wrecking Ball"

The most obvious pick on the list, as the song was written as a tribute to Giants Stadium, and specifically gives the Giants a shout-out.



Dallas Cowboys - "Black Cowboys"

Again, the team name is in the title.  Let's not over-think this.



Philadelphia Eagles - "Streets of Philadelphia"

The NFL East teams have been all slam-dunks so far.



Washington Redskins - "Blinded By The Light"

"Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer..." Yeah, I don't know what it means either.



Detroit Lions - "Lion's Den"

An underrated Springsteen romper for this overrated team that gets romped.



Chicago Bears - "We Take Care Of Our Own"

Chicago gets out mention in this song.  This was a tough one to figure out - Springsteen just doesn't write enough songs about bears.



Minnesota Vikings - "Outlaw Pete"

This is an enormous stretch, but here we go: Adrian PETErson, Outlaw PETE.  Eh?  EH?  Let's hope AP plays there forever, because I can't think of another song for this team.



Green Bay Packers - "Out In The Street"

The main character in this song is loading crates down on the dock.  I guess if you are loading crates, you are technically packing things.  Right?  Again, there aren't many Springsteen songs about cheese.



New Orleans Saints - "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City"

There was a surprising amount of Springsteen songs featuring saints, but I'll just stick with this classic.



Carolina Panthers - "All I'm Thinkin' About"

This is the song where Springsteen is sipping blueberry wine in Carolina.  But you already knew that.



Atlanta Falcons - "One Step Up"

I really had no idea what to pick for this song, so I just found a random Springsteen song that mentioned "birds", since, you know, falcons and what not.  Plus, "one step up and two steps back" seems to sum up this franchise to a tee.



Tampa Bay Buccaneers - "Better Days"

"Now a life of leisure and a pirate's treasure don't make much for tragedy..."  I could have given this to the Raiders, but California has its fair share of songs, while Florida is largely ignored.



San Francisco 49ers - "This Land Is Your Land"

"From California, to the New York islands..."  Also, hippies love this song.



Arizona Cardinals - "I'm On Fire"

Because it is hot in Arizona!



St. Louis Rams - "Ramrod"

Another simple "team name is in the title" choices.



Seattle Seahawks - "Who'll Stop The Rain"

It rains in Seattle!



And, I'm done!  Some of those choices fit like a glove, and some fit like a glove that was worn by someone with really fat hands before they gave it to you.  I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know if you have any more appropriate choices in the comments.  Without further ado, here are our fairly uneducated Super Bowl picks for this year:

OB: Denver 35, Seattle 31
Rory: Denver 24, Seattle 17
Steve: Denver 31, Seattle 28

Lyrics Spotlight - Point Blank

"It's one false move and baby the lights go out"

--Point Blank, The River

Last year at this time, I was able to write a glorious post-Super Bowl tribute to my beloved New York Giants.  This year we were treated to an entertaining, albeit frustrating, game.  I had no real dog in this fight, as the arbitrary reasons I had for rooting for the 49ers (NFC team, black quarterback, and hating Ray Lewis) were equaled out by my reasons for rooting for the Ravens (underdog, Rutgers' Ray Rice, and older brothers sticking together).  What most casual fans will take away from this game was the 34-minute blackout during the game.  

While frustrating at the time, I feel, in the long run, the blackout was a net gain for the Super Bowl.  First, it turned the momentum from Baltimore to San Francisco, as the game was getting out of hand.  Who wants to see a blow-out?  Secondly, it gave everyone in America an extra half-hour of drinking, which is a perfect addition to any party.  Finally, the most important aspect of the blackout is that it was a litmus test to see how strong your Super Bowl party was.  As someone at my party said, "Woah, it's already been 27 minutes?  You people are pretty entertaining!"  If you found yourself drinking, joking, and switching to the Puppy Bowl as you waited for the game to restart, congratulations!  You were at a great party!  However, if you found yourself falling asleep or pulling out your hair waiting for the game to restart, you may want to go to a different party next year.  

Finally, there were a lot of "blackout" lines in Bruce songs I could have chosen, including whole songs such as "Shut Out The Light" and "When The Lights Go Out".  However, I picked "Point Blank" to reflect the accuracy of my Super Bowl prediction.  Last year, I nailed the final score exactly, and this year I was the only Legends of Springsteener to pick the Ravens, and was off on the final score by just 3 points for each team.  Loyal readers, make sure to check back next February to see if I can keep my streak alive.

Sporting With Bruce Springsteen

They always say that people should write what they know, so in the tradition of drinking with Springsteen and gambling with Springsteen, I present to you: Sporting with Springsteen!

The Super Bowl is this Sunday.  Last year around this time, we looked back on Springsteen's epic performance at the 2009 Super Bowl.  If you haven't read that, make sure to click that link; it will be much more entertaining than the article you are currently reading.  This year, we will take a look at how the world of sports has crossed over into Springsteen's song catalog.

Looking for Springsteen songs about or referencing sports is a difficult endeavor, as the man does not seem to be a sports enthusiast.  While he did play a little baseball in his youth, his adolescence revolved around making those guitars talk.  However, there is one Springsteen song that I'm sure jumped to everyone's mind as soon as they read the title, so let's jump write into it:

Glory Days



This Youtube video even claims that it is the greatest song about baseball (John Fogerty must have turned over in his luxurious bed).  And despite Bruce's baseball ignorance (a "speedball"), I'm inclined to agree with that assessment.  Sure, taken in its entirety, the song is a melancholy look back at faded youth.  It's a wistful song dedicated to the memory of a bygone era.  That, to me, is baseball all over.

For example, football is a high-stakes world of advanced warfare, always being the first sport to adopt new technology, constantly improving their equipment, and making their players bigger and stronger.   Basketball has always been strongly in step with the youth culture; in every generation, there's at least a few stars who set fashion trends (Michael Jordan's long shorts/shaved head in the late 80s, Allen Iverson's "gangsta" look in the late 90s, and the James Harden/Russell Westbrook "hipster" look today).  Baseball exists in a world sepia-toned photographs of chubby men with funny mustaches.  You sit down with any baseball fan, and they'll talk to you more about retired players than current ones.  One of our writers, OB, is a lifelong Mets fan whose favorite player is Gary Carter - who left the team when OB was four years old!  Baseball is Abbot & Costello, peanuts & crack jack, and "Glory Days".

Wrecking Ball



This song has just a vague reference to the New York Giants, but that's enough to make it into this article.  "Wrecking Ball" was written in 2009 when they were tearing down Giants Stadium.  It goes with the notion mentioned before that football is all about the future, as old stadium as torn down in favor of new, state-of-the-art designs.  These stadiums may have the largest digital screen displays in the western hemisphere, but they do not have the character of the old stadiums.  While paving over the past is not a problem unique to football (and nostalgia is not unique to baseball), it tends to be more associated with the culture of the sport.

While the previous two songs dealt with sad subjects draped in upbeat, toe-tapping tempos, the next two songs will deal with sad subjects in an appropriate somber tone.  Furthermore, while the previous songs dealt with team sports and the ideals behind them, the next ones focus on individual sports and the tolls they take on those who choose them as a career path.

The Hitter



This tells the story of a tough boxer who works his way up from the dockyard, earns fame and glory, takes a dive, and finds himself back in the docks again.  The story is very similar to "Workin' On The Highway", although told through Devils & Dust's barren acoustic sound, rather than the bombastic Born in the USA style.  It illustrates the perils of success, and uses brutal imagery to show how rough a living it is.  The narrator throughout is singing the song to his mother, showing that beneath the tough exterior he just wants the comfort of home and love to get him through his rough life.

The Wrestler



This has to be one of my all-time favorite Springsteen songs.  I remember watching The Wrestler in the theaters with fellow blog writer Steve, and when this song came on at the start of the credits, it was like a punch in the gut.  While the story of both the movie and the song can be applied to nearly any profession where you have to push your body physically and mentally into dangerous territory in order to succeed, it definitely works best in the context of professional wrestling.  Like "Streets of Philadelphia" only vaguely referencing AIDS, there is no obvious mention of wrestling in this song, aside from "blood", "bruises", and "broken bones".  However, the story here is one of the dozens of professional wrestlers whose life and careers were cut short as they pulled out all the stops to "make you smile".  The question at the end is a dark indictment of the fans of many sports, as they often do ask for more, taking for granted the sacrifices of the performers.

Well, that's a pretty depressing place to end the article.  So, to lighten the mood, here's a rant about being a sports fan:

A lot of people often make fun of sports fans based on their lowest common denominator.  You know who that is: the fat guy who paints his face, gets too drunk at games, and yells profanities at opposing players.  There are plenty of reasons to mock sports fans, and I'm sure I create more reasons every time I go to a game.  However, one joke that I can't stand is when people criticize sports fans for saying "we" when referring to their favorite team.  Critics will point and laughing, saying "Do you actually think you are part of the team?"  Actually, newsflash: I don't.  I just understand how pronouns work.  If I'm talking about the Giants, my favorite team, playing the Cowboys, do you know how confusing it would be to refer to multiple teams as "they"?  "They need to stop their defense because they are fighting them for a playoff spot."  Say what now?  I can't believe I have to explain this to non-sports fans in the year 2013.  Couldn't they (meaning people who make that dumb criticism) have learned about pronouns by now?  We (meaning sports fans who understand how to use the word "we" and myself, not the New York Giants and myself) figured it out long ago.

Now that my ranting is done, how about that Super Bowl?  Last year, I predicted the exact final score of the game, can I pull it through again?  Here's what the football experts at Legends of Springsteen think will happen Sunday:

OB: 49ers 27, Ravens 17
Rory: Ravens 31, 49ers 28
Steve: 49ers 35, Ravens 30

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Springsteen Lyrics of the Week - Wrecking Ball

Now my home's here in the Meadowlands
Where mosquitoes grow big as airplanes
Here where the blood is spilled
The arena's filled
and GIANTS play their games
-- "Wrecking Ball", Live at Giants Stadium

As you could tell in our Super Bowl post, we here at Legends were rooting for the Giants.  Not only did we all pick the Giants to win, but I even nailed the final score!  In a fantastic game, the Giants made all of New Jersey proud.  I'll always love the fact that a group of rich athletes can unit people from a specific geographic area (that the players themselves are just loosely affiliated with) in a moment of pure exhilaration.  So here's to you - Eli, Osi, Tuck, Mario, JPP, Nicks, Cruuuuuuuuuuuuz, and the rest - on your great victory in Super Bowl XLVI.

(On a side note, the song "Wrecking Ball" debuted at the end of 2009, when they were closing Giants Stadium.  When I first heard that Bruce had written a special song to commemorate the occasion, I was secretly hoping that he would just sing "Jungleland", but replace the word "Jungleland" with "Meadowlands".  While "Wrecking Ball" is a great song, I sort of wish I got to hear that imaginary "Jungleland" revamp.  Ah well.  I still have "Tim Tebow's Fire".)

Springsteen Video of the Week - Super Bowl Halftime Show, 2009

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, so the Video of the Week should come as no surprise.  I remember watching this three years ago, and thinking the performance was about a 6 out of 10.  I thought that jamming Springsteen into a 12-minute window for Mainstream America didn't do the Boss justice.  However, perhaps I was too drunk or pissy at the time.  Re-watching it this week, and taking into account how much Springsteen accomplished in spite of the time limitation, I'd give the performance a strong 8 out of 10.  Here are some highlights:

1. The Introduction

As I've discussed on this site before, "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" is the perfect introduction song.  The silhoutte of Clarence and Bruce back-to-back is beautiful.  And Bruce's speech in the beginning is amazing.  There are very few instances I can recall of the Super Bowl half-time performer addressing the audience - usually they just play their hits and leave.  With every second ticking down, he still finds time to be his loquacious self.  It's also important to remember that before the performance began, James Harrison ran back a touchdown that the referees had to review to make sure was good.  So, the beginning of the show was delayed.  You can just imagine Bruce just percolating with energy backstage, frantically pacing, not knowing when he'd be taking the stage.  His energy is clearly at a 10 in the opening.

2. Glory Days

The abbreviated "Born To Run" and "Working on a Dream" didn't really do it for me, although I can understand the reasoning behind the choices - the former to give the people what they want, the latter to sell the new album.  However, he brings it home with an excellent rendition of one of my lesser-loved songs.  I love Bruce's improvisation - as it confirms his lack of sports knowledge (a "speedball" is a replaced by "Hail Mary").  This version also gets tremendous contributions from Steven Van Zandt, the horn section from Conan O'Brien's band, and a random NFL referee. 

3. The Power Slide

Mesmerizing.

4. Clarence's Outfit

The man has style. 

Anyway, here's our (completely unbiased) Super Bowl predictions.  Enjoy the game this weekend, and for God's sake, put down the chicken fingers.

OB: Giants 27, Patriots 24
Rory: Giants 21, Patriots 17
Steve: Giants 28, Patriots 10