The Mythopoetic NFL Playoffs
Jan. 14th, 2012 04:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lightcastleIt's been a while since I've done this, but since I probably will be throwing the World's Most Civilized Football Party this year, I thought I should.
In the NFC we have the Saints vs the 49ers today. Tomorrow we have the Packers vs the Giants.
In both cases we have a very human symbol against a larger than life one. The 49ers as the grizzled explorers/pioneers, and the Packers as simple blue color men of dignity. The Saints, of course, have Holy Beings Touched By God, while the Giants are major players in numerous myths across the globe.
Over in the AFC, we have a similar situation, but with animals swapped in for mythic beings. The Patriots (human archetype) vs the Broncos (mighty stallions with many mythic connotations) and the Texans (human archetype) vs the Ravens (classic trickster and/or death symbol).
That said, what makes for the most interesting matchups down the road? Obviously, we could root for human/mythic all the way down the line, in which case I'd like Packers/Saints and Patriots/Ravens, followed by Saints/Patriots as a battle of Church and State.
Another option is all human, in which case I'd like 49ers/Texans I think, as the battle of Frontier archetypes. (Although Packers/Texans as Urban vs Rural works pretty well, too.)
All mythic leads to some interesting possibilities, but Ravens definitely have to be the AFC representative, then, due to the better mythic history. Ravens/Saints seems the most interesting mythically there.
You could also do all human semi final on one side, all mythic on the other, in which case I'd still want Saints/Patriots as your final.
In the NFC we have the Saints vs the 49ers today. Tomorrow we have the Packers vs the Giants.
In both cases we have a very human symbol against a larger than life one. The 49ers as the grizzled explorers/pioneers, and the Packers as simple blue color men of dignity. The Saints, of course, have Holy Beings Touched By God, while the Giants are major players in numerous myths across the globe.
Over in the AFC, we have a similar situation, but with animals swapped in for mythic beings. The Patriots (human archetype) vs the Broncos (mighty stallions with many mythic connotations) and the Texans (human archetype) vs the Ravens (classic trickster and/or death symbol).
That said, what makes for the most interesting matchups down the road? Obviously, we could root for human/mythic all the way down the line, in which case I'd like Packers/Saints and Patriots/Ravens, followed by Saints/Patriots as a battle of Church and State.
Another option is all human, in which case I'd like 49ers/Texans I think, as the battle of Frontier archetypes. (Although Packers/Texans as Urban vs Rural works pretty well, too.)
All mythic leads to some interesting possibilities, but Ravens definitely have to be the AFC representative, then, due to the better mythic history. Ravens/Saints seems the most interesting mythically there.
You could also do all human semi final on one side, all mythic on the other, in which case I'd still want Saints/Patriots as your final.
