SS-ITA-BSB-XLIV (Take II)
Posted: February 7th, 2010 | Filed under: Other Sports | 22 Comments »
More Stupid Stuff I Think About Before Super Bowl XLIV
The general feeling here seems to be that this could be a great Super Bowl. In fact, I cannot remember a Super Bowl game where people — media people, fans, everyone — seemed so HOPEFUL before a game.
This, of course, is just my feeling — but as I remember it, nobody seemed too jazzed before last year’s Steelers-Cardinals game, though it turned out to be a great game. Most seemed to believe the Patriots would annihilate the Giants the year before, and that the Colts were quite a lot better than the Bears the year before that. I think you have to go back to the Broncos-Packers game in 1998 to find a game that people honestly seemed to think, coming in, had a chance to be a classic. And people seem even more excited about this game.
I suppose this is because the feeling coming in is that neither team will be able to stop the other. The mind imagines something like that classic Dolphins-Chargers playoff game, the one where neither team had any chance of stopping the other, the one where San Diego tight end Kellen Winslow died four times during the game and still came back to make winning plays at the end.
Of course, it might not work out that way. The Saints might just be happy to be here. The Colts might suffer with a wounded Dwight Freeney. Turnovers could turn the game into an early rout. Who knows? But as Super Bowl XLIV begins, there are big hopes for something that everyone will remember.
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Circle me Johnny Unitas.
Did you ever see the faces of children
They get so excited.
Waking up on Super Bowl sunday
Hours before the winter sun’s ignited.
They believe in dreams and all they mean
Including QBs pass velocity.
Peeping at the pregame
to see who Parcells thinks will win
In curiosity.
And Tommy doesn’t know what day it is.
Doesn’t know who Unitas was or what a timeout is.
How can he be saved?
To see the immortal game.
Tommy can you hear me?
Tommy can you hear me?
Tommy can you hear me?
The Who seemed to be live…and Bruce couldn’t pull it off.
Sad.
All right, as I remember it, everyone thought that the Packers were going to blow out the Broncos. Elway had never won. The Packers looked like world beaters. The spread was, what, 13 points? It turned out to be a surprising game, but I don’t remember there being many who thought the Broncos would be competitive.
Am I the only one with his hopes pinned on Hartley Over 6.5 points? God, I hope not. Bodog always gives away at least one prop bet…last year it was Edgerrin James Over 13.5 yards receiving or thereabouts…
@3 – It would’ve been less embarrassing for everyone involved if the Who had lip-synched. Good lord, that was horrible.
It was even more embarrassing than failing to close one’s tags.
Off topic, but Jon Stewart is the most sincere? A comedian?
I thought it looked like the Who did synch – there was a stretch where the lips were about a second behind the track.
Of course, if I’m right, they should have used a track in which competent people sang.
Also, everyone I talk to tells me that was a great game, one of the best Super Bowls ever – am I missing something? It didn’t seem as good to me as the previous two. Sure, it wasn’t one of those 90s blowouts, but I wouldn’t say all time great.
Glad to see it’s not too late to vote in the Super Bowl Pick poll.
I’ll take the Colts by a big margin, especially if they get their running game going.
Bunyon, I’m with you there. As a Saints fan of 30 years I was delerious that they won. But a great game, no way.
Everything was thrown underneath, they never stretched either defense. Other than the one interception return there were no big plays on either side. No punts. Neither D really had to come up big other than the one goal line stand by the Colts but that didn’t make a difference in the end.
I’d rate it as a 7 or 8 but certainly not a memorable one other than a team winning for the first time in their history.
I define “great games” as “exciting, close contests”. By that standard, the game was not great. However, what about a well-played game? Does that not count for something? There was one turnover (aside from two on downs, but that’s quite different from the giveaway/takeaway variety), very few penalties, and one missed field goal from a 73 year old kicker trying to hit from 51 yards. It was great in the sense that neither team had an advantage for very long. If not for Tracy Porter, a Super Bowl overtime (the first ever) was looming.
And “everything was underneath”? Isn’t it possible that the downfield coverage was so good that there was no percentage in taking a shot downfield? I saw several occasions where both QBs were looking downfield. And this despite excellent pass protection for both Manning and Brees.
A show of dramatic runs of momentum it was not, but Super Bowl XLIV was a great display of balanced competence.
Any Super Bowl that’s not decided until the final minute is a pretty good game, IMO. The Colts had a chance until the very end (even though it would have involved a successful onside-kick).
After all the blowouts over the years, I enjoyed it.
If someone says “everything was underneath” in reference to the passing games that also allows for the possibility that everyone was covered on the deep and medium routes. He did not say that no one looked deep. He basically said that they did not throw deep. Coverage that is so good, but cannot be seen on the screen does not make the super bowl more exciting.
The game was ok, but I think I was still suffering from post-vikings’ loss syndrome. The Who was terrible, brutal. Our theory at our house was that no actual dead people said yes to the invite, so they took the next worst thing. I think one commercial made us laught out loud. Not much entertainment value there at all.* **
*my opinion may also be clouded by the arguing over homework part of the game
**although, it is the first SB I can where I read a book during the game, so that has to say something about it
Why did we never see a replay of the near interception in end zone on Manning throw to ???. ?
And, on that play very late in game when Manning’s pass was deflected and hit the upright…had that then been caught by a player would it have been a catch/interception?
Ricardo, what I meant was that it would have been great to see a game breaking TD other than just the interception. To me someone ripping off a 50+ yarder or a punt/kickoff return for a TD would have added excitement.
The QB’s were efficient, taking what was there, especially Brees. Seeing that one throw by Manning into triple coverage to Clarke was great.
The onside kick was unexpected for sure.
But to me it added up to a good game, just not an all-time memorable one.
Oh, it was a good, well-played game, no doubt. And entertaining. I enjoyed it. It just wasn’t one of the all-time greats. Had Manning and the Colts, in fact, gotten in close down a TD, then sure. But they were still on the 35 and it was 3rd and 5. If Porter doesn’t intercept but merely deflects the ball, then the Colts may well die a long way from the tie.
I, too, noticed the lack of deep passes. I’m not knowledgeable enough to know if that was defense, poor play calling…or what. I suspect it was good coverage.
As for “all the blowouts over the years”, the last Super Bowl blowout was 7 years ago (Tampa v. Oakland) and the last time we had consecutive blowouts was 1994/1995. Of course, 1995 marked the end of a run of 12 years that saw only 2 competitive games (49ers over Bengals, Giants over Bills). But the idea that the Super Bowl is generally a lopsided, over-early sort of contest is dated.
@4 – agree completely. As a Broncos fan, I remember watching all of the pre-game talk. The Packers had an unstoppable offense, Favre was amazing, etc. The defense was solid as a rock, no one got anything past them – Reggie White, etc. Denver didn’t have a chance against either unit.
Then they glossed over the rankings of both teams – the Broncos had a better ranked offense and defense! That’s when I KNEW we were going to win.
When the Broncos won, it was the end of the AFC being an automatic 2 TD underdog of the previous decade or so.
I think I read somewhere that this was the most watched Super Bowl ever.
Damn it, the Generals lost again.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4900488
Charlie @19 & all
Guess who the #2 team in yards from scrimmage was in the NFL in 1997.
…
…
The Lions.
But looking back on it, I love that SB32 was considered an “upset”.
Broncos: +185
Packers: +140
Broncos: +10.7 SRS (Simple Rating System)
Packers: +7.7 SRS
Offense:
Broncos: 1st in yards, 1st in points
Packers: 4th in yards, 2nd in points
Defense:
Broncos: 5th in yards allowed, 6th in points allowed
Packers: 7th in yards allowed, 5th in points allowed
So yeah, if the Broncos kick one more FG in Week 12 v. the Chiefs, then both teams are 13-3, Broncos are also a division champ, and are probably favored.
To be fair, back then, top seeding was considered way more important than it is now. It’s been since 2004 that both top seeds made the SB before this season.