NFL.com: GameBookFirst off, congrats to the Stillers of Pittsburgh. You won your fifth SuperBowl in six tries, which puts you behind only San Francisco (5-0) in Superbowl Efficiency, with a minimum of three appearances. And for the sake of the NFL's image, we should just forget about the Neil O'Donnell team and the Kordell Stewart years. More on this at the end. But now, on to my thoughts on the Stupor Bowl. (EDITORS NOTE: In the interest of keeping this below 10K words, this commentary is limited strictly to the game and the elements of it. Advertising will be a separate post, as will my extended gripe about the pre-game and halftime shows as well as the National Anthem).
I will admit, going in, I thought that Seattle would probably win this, on the rule that the common wisdom on anything in sports is usually wrong, especially when more than 75% of pundits get on one side. The East Coast Media Bias was clearly in play, as was the NFL is Boring bias (experts will inevitably pick the team that plays the more boring game, or at least can run the ball between the tackles and stop the run between the tackles). This is in the event that there is not a defending champ, in which case the defending champ rule is in play. So, I thought Seattle was probably ignored, despite the weak schedule and the easy playoff run. Despite the Giants game, etc. Also, I think they have more guys who played at University of Texas (Marcus Tubbs and DD Lewis, compared to just Casey Hampton, although he should count for 2 big as he is). And, early going, it looked like I was going to be right. Seattle moved the ball, and Pittsburgh didn't.
Then, the refs attacked. With 2:08 left in the first, they called a phantom offensive pass interference (Is this maybe the first time this has been called in the Super Bowl?) on Darrell Jackson in the end zone. Don't take my word for it. Super Bowl veterans Steven Young and Michael Irvin, at halftime suggested this was a very tacky call. At this point, Seattle should have been up by 7, with a D that had given nothing to Pittsburgh, and an O that was moving the ball. Instead they get three, and Pittsburgh is very much in it.
Break here to name the official game goat. It is Jeramy Stevens. This is a guy who was clearly part of the game plan. And yet, he couldn't catch anything. I think he dropped five passes. At least four. He did manage to catch 3, but the first two he dropped were drive killers. 3rd&2 from the Pitt 47 & 1st&10 from the Pitt 37. If he catches the first, we're probably talking Seahawks 10, Steelers 0, with Pittsburgh's best play a Roethlisberger 10 yard scramble. I'm not saying it's the game, but it puts Pittsburgh up against it.
Next topic: I don't think that Roethlisberger's rushing TD was a TD. I think it might've been, but I didn't see anything in the replay to say it was. If the refs had initially called it not a TD, I don't think you could see anything in the replays that would lead you to call it a TD. My wife even cared for a minute and said it wasn't a TD. I'm not saying it wasn't, because I think there is room for discussion there. That said, I think the standard for replay is a little off. It should probably read more like, "If you don't see a TD, don't call it a TD." Is it me, or is Seattle the team most likely to get boned on a phantom QB rushing TD? I seem to recall my JETS getting a win on them on a Vinnie Greenhead helmet across the goal line TD at the end of a game. I think that kept Seattle out of the playoffs that year. I think it led to the return of replay.
If they call it a no TD, maybe they give to the Bus from the 1 millimeter line, and he scores anyway, so in the end, I don't think it's that big a play, but if I'm a Seahawk fan (I am mildly because I played them as a Franchise in Madden 2004), I want the Steelers to earn it, rather than the Stealers be gifted a six.
A lot of the critique of Seattle has been that they got very lucky just to get to the SuperBowl, despite winning more regular season games than anyone else. The Story as a whole doesn't want to read that Pittsburgh was out of the playoffs with 3 regular season games to go, and required the following to get in:
1- Marty Schottenheimer to lose his coaching mind after winning the biggest game he will likely ever play in San Diego (SD vs. IND).
2- Kimo "I Killed Carson Palmer" Von "I Killed Carson Palmer" Oehlhoffen. (It wasn't dirty, really. But if he doesn't do that, they don't win that game. Period).
3- Peyton Manning to pull a total Peyton. I think we will forever call the experience of becoming bigger than the team, showing up the coach, blowing the game, and throwing your team under the bus after you blew it "pulling a Peyton". It could also apply to the only time a #8 seed beat a #1 in the NBA, when Mutumbo's Nuggets (that sounds dirty) beat Gary Payton's Sonics.
4- Denver basically leaving everything in the NE game and Jake Plummer flashing back to his Arizona days.
5- Add anything you want to say about Tom Brady and the Patriots whole season.
6- And a string of injuries to the Seattle defense (Manuel, Bernard and Dyson) that had, when healthy, completely controlled Pittsburgh. I think the real player of the game could be the guy who hit Marquand Manuel and put him out. That was the start of the end.
Lastly, before we annoint Bill Cowher as the most brilliant thing this side of Belly-check, I have four words for you that should be part of his legacy:
Champion of Kordell Stewart
Isn't the Jaw the guy who kept Kordell Stewart as his starting QB for like a hundred years beyond the point where it became obvious that he was never going to be a real starting QB in the NFL. Yesterday, during the game, some commentator suggested that Cowher never had a QB in his million year tenure in Pittsburgh until Roethlisberger rolled into town. Isn't this, at least partially, Cowher's own fault? They got to the Superbowl with Neil O'Donnell, who is not any better than Kordell, really, but they came close with him. And then he dumped Neil to run the Kodell Stewart Experiment, which could probably be summed up kindly as unsuccessful.
Deep down, I think this should offer hope to one man. Jim Mora Jr. of The Atlanta Falcons, who continues to push Michael Vick as a QB, despite all the evidence to the contrary. It seems, in retrospect, kind of Cowheresque.
Tomorrow, my commentary on the ads. And maybe a rant about all things musical at the SuperBowl.
