Move On Up: Seattle Will Win

So there is this scene halfway through Out Of Sight when Soderbergh cuts to the Motor City, looking like the motor city in it’s Seahawk blue color pallet (or Steel blue, if you are rooting for the bad guys). The city shots are vibrant and energizing thanks to Curtis Mayfield’s Motown hit “Move On Up” electrifying the movie soundtrack. Why hasn’t anybody brought up Motown during the SuperBowl hype this week? For crap’s sake, there is a reason why Stevie Wonder is performing during the opening ceremonies. The Motown connection just needed to be mentioned before we move on. Give props to the Godfathers of Soul.

“I know a guy who walks into a bank with a little glass bottle. He tells everyone it's nitroglycerine. He scores some money off the teller, walks out. On his way out, the bottle breaks, he slips on it and knocks himself out. The "nitro" was Canola oil. I know more fucked-up bank robbers than ones who know what they're doing. I doubt if one in twenty could tell you where the dye pack is. Most bank robbers are fucking morons.”
Steven Soderbergh's Out Of Sight is a crime movie less interested in crime than in how people talk, flirt, lie and get themselves into trouble. Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, it relishes Leonard's deep comic ease; the characters mosey through scenes existing primarily to savor the dialogue. But, “Why Out Of Sight?,” you say? Well, a majority of the second half of the movie takes place in Detriot. Not only that, “Move On Up” is what the Seahawks are going to do this Sunday. Seattle is going to come out blazing, like the triumphant horns blasting in the Mayfield hit. We’ll continue this predictions post with more memorable quotes from the film, an Elmore Leonard novel adapted to film and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film, released in 1998, is an underrated film by popular standards, but remains one of my favorites of all-time, with a brilliant script, surprising performances, great cast & clever direction.

“Wow! You are mean!”
Just like J-Lo stepping on the back of Luis Guzmán with her heel in her role as a U.S. Marshall, the Steelers aren’t going to win for two main reasons. The first is Line play. One thing I’ve learned from Goose these past few years as my American football knowledge has grown, is that whoever controls the offensive and defensive line in a ballgame has a distinct advantage in the match. And not enough has been said about Seattle’s lines this week. The All-Pro left side of Seattle’s O-line is unmatched in the NFL today, while the additions of a healthy Marcus "Maurice" Tubbs, Rocky Bernard and the high-energy M’er F’n Bryce Fisher have given the Seahawks enough push to let the secondary gamble and the backers to be free to make plays.

“Well, the man don't just have to die, Foley. I mean, he could accidentally hurt himself falling down on something real hard, you know? Like a shiv, or my dick?”
Don Cheadle, as Maurice “Snoopy” Miller, threatening a bad-toupee wearing Albert Brooks in prison leads us to my second reason the Hawks will prevail this Sunday. The Steelers offense isn’t that good. In fact, the Steelers have averaged just 11.6 points in their last five meetings with the Seahawks, scoring fewer than 17 points in each contest. I’ve been generous in predicting them getting 2 FG’s on Sunday to give them 20 points. Plus, since 1970, the Steelers are 23-1 in the playoffs when allowing less than 20 points in a game. But, as we all know, nobody can hold the Seahawks offense under 20 points, at least nobody since the Skins loss in early October (since we can’t could the GB loss when we sat most of our starters after the 1st quarter.).

“Is this your first time being robbed? [Teller Nods] ...You're doing great.”
Is Matt Hasselbeck a lock to win the Super Bowl? Starting quarterbacks wearing the No. 8 are 5-0 in Super Bowls (Trent Dilfer 1-0, Steve Young 1-0, Troy Aikman 3-0), while starting quarterbacks wearing No. 7 are just 3-7. Just like Goose predicted during the Redskins playoff match, the Seattle Seahawks are this year’s “team of destiny.” You don’t f___ with destiny, people! The entire country’s east coast bias will be put to shame this Sunday afternoon. And the Lodge will be gathered together for one more A-Team mission to root on the Hawks to victory. Sweetness.

“It's like seeing someone for the first time, and you look at each other for a few seconds, and there's this kind of recognition like you both know something. Next moment the person's gone, and it's too late to do anything about it.”