Last year was the most watched Super Bowl ever, this year’s Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals is simply being touted by many as the most exciting ever. With the exception to Steeler James Harrison’s interception return for a touchdown before halftime, the first 50+ minutes of this game left much to be desired. At the start of the fourth quarter the thought “this is the most boring Super Bowl ever” entered my mind. I’ll give it the honorary title of Most Exciting Eight Minute Span in Super Bowl History. As we head into the football drought until next fall (because the Pro Bowl is not football, just a free trip to Hawaii for the league’s best players), here are a few things to think about:
WR Santonio Holmes made the toe touching touchdown grab to secure the win for the Steelers.
-What took the Cardinals so long to get Larry Fitzgerald involved? With a little more than eight minutes left in the game, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner had thrown in Fitzgerald’s direction once!!! Throughout the game the Cardinals tried so hard to establish the run, but all it did was stall their drives, it was not the run that got them to the Super Bowl. Once Warner started throwing to Fitzgerald, he started making plays. Fitzgerald made six receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns. I think their was a missing page in the gameplan…
-Did the Steelers label themselves as thugs? In the last five minutes of the game, Ike Taylor and James Harrison were both assessed unnecessary roughness penalites and were acting like thugs. Taylor tried to pick a fight with the whole Cardinals bench, for the most part unprovoked. Harrison roughed up Cardinals special teamer Aaron Francisco for no reason at all comletely unprovoked. While Taylor’s action were simply stupid, Harrison’s were worthy of a suspension or at least a fine.
-Is Ben Roethlisberger among the best quarterbacks ever? In Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger came away with a ring and the worst QB rating in Super Bowl history. After Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger is being mentioned as one of the greatest. Big Ben was amazing in avoiding the rush and making huge throws, but one of the greatest? Perhaps in the Super Bowl, there are a half dozen quarterbacks I’d rather have as my starter ahead of Roethlisberger, and they for sure all have shorter names.
-Was this one of the worst officiated Super Bowls? This was a poorly officiated game, it seemed like there were more yellow flags on the field than terrible towels in the stands. While some will cry bloody murder, the Cardinals gave the game away in the second quarter when Warner threw that now infamous pick six. I didn’t see a ref throw that interception at the goal line, surely didn’t see one miss about nine tackles down the sideline. Referees influence the game, but they don’t decide a winner (except for Ed Hochuli’s all-time worst botched call this past year).
-Will the Cardinals stay atop the NFC? The Cardinals got hot, it’s that simple. If Warner retires, then so will the Cardinals chances to stay at the level they are playing right now. The Cardinals are a throwing team, and that’s fine, it was when they tried to establish the run that they got in trouble. If the Cardinals lose their passing game then they will lose everything, not to mention their defense breaks just as much as it bends. The Cardinals found themselves in a good position the way their division and the NFC shaked out, and then they took care of business in the Playoffs. It’s a vast understatement to say the Cardinals will find it tough to play in another Super Bowl any time soon.
Tags: NFL
February 4th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Unfortunately I was not able to watch all of the Super Bowl and missed the last half when it was actually exciting from what I have been told. I highly enjoyed reading it since I wasn’t able to watch all of the game.