Superbowl 42: Afterthoughts
With the most watched Superbowl of all time in the books, I thought it appropriate to share a few thoughts about the game that stunned us all. After reading my thoughts you can get an idea of where I watched the game by checking out my photos on flickr.
Some Quick Thoughts on the Game
- The Giants played extremely well and deserved to win the game. Eli Manning, out of nowhere, has become a reliable quarterback. I have been more critical of him than anyone I know, which means I got shut up twice as hard as everyone else. He made some plays Sunday night I never expected him to be able to make. His only interception was not even his fault, and his two touchdown passes were perfect. Maybe there is something to that last name of his?
- The pass rush of the Giants was dominant for the entire game, and that is the reason they were able to contain the Patriots offense as well as they did. Throughout the season we saw flashes of it from other teams. Not until the Superbowl was the performance of the defensive line stellar enough to hold Brady and the Patriots from scoring. Burress was eerily close to predicting the low score no one else expected.
- Tom Brady can throw the football just about as far as he wants to anywhere he wants. See: last plays of the Superbowl.
- Eli Manning may have taken the trophy home, but we all know that David Tyree was the MVP of Superbowl 42. He caught a touchdown in a game where every point mattered more than ever, only to top that off with one of the greatest catches I have ever seen. He caught the ball against his head. Rodney Harrison was hitting at the ball and even tried to pull it away after Tyree had clearly landed. None of that even phased the helmet hands as this special teams player turned out one of the highlights of the year. I did not even mention Eli running away from four Patriots to make the throw.
- There has not been a good Superbowl Halftime show since Aerosmith, ‘N Sync, Britney Spears, Nelly, and Mary J.Blige played in 2000. And does anyone not know the lyrics to Freefallin’?
- It is no secret that I did not want the Patriots to win, but even I am disgusted with the media’s absurd flip-flop off the New England bandwagon. An hour before the Superbowl every analyst in front of a microphone was ready to crown the Patriots as the greatest team of all time. Tom Brady was an untouchable warrior who was pretty much the greatest quarterback ever to grace us with his presence. Five minutes post-Giant victory? Try to find anyone affiliated with ESPN who has not ripped some part of the team. For five months I have heard nothing but claims of invincibility, and the instantaneous turn-around has taught me
not to trust any sports personalitythe media is more fickle than I had believed. After the game they were talking about how bad the Patriots were…the team that won 18 straight games is suddenly bad after you were praising them all season as the best ever? It just does not make sense. - With regards to my above statement,
the onlythere are still plenty of ESPN analysts that I trust to give opinions and stand by their calls, including Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, and Michael Smith among others. On PTI Tony Kornheiser started the show by saying he was wrong, and Wilbon was right. They then discussed the game. I did not see that anywhere else, which is just another reason why PTI is the best sports program on television. - Did anyone else catch the hilarity of Mercury Morris talking about the 72 Dolphins after the game? Nobody tell his wife that February 3, 2008, was really the happiest night of his life.
- 18-1*
- Kudos to the Patriots for handling this with class. It cannot be easy to lose after what they were trying to accomplish and calmly credit the Giants with the victory…
- …but do not think you are going to waltz right into the Superbowl next year for another shot. I think many of the “Patriot faithful” free-agents are going to bolt now that humble pie has left such a bad taste in their mouths. I still think they will be able to resign Moss, and after the year he had they better give him top dollar. Otherwise, someone else will.
Overall this was one of the most exciting, emotionally involving non-Steeler games I have ever seen. I know that across the country millions of people were united with me in hoping to see the Patriots empire crumble. Not only was our wish granted, but we were also treated to a fantastic game of hard-hitting, old school football (my favorite kind). Though many people will complain about the low score, I disagree wholeheartedly. The lack of points made the tension in the game rise to almost unbearable levels. Every yard had to be earned, and in the end the Giants came out on top.
With all of that said I only left out one thing. Check back soon for my thoughts on the most important thing on Superbowl Sunday beside the game: the commercials.
What are your thoughts/opinions on the Superbowl? Was the game exciting, or was the low score disappointing? Let me know all your Patriot or Giant feelings as well. I cannot wait for next year’s season.
February 5th, 2008 | 10:57 am
Superbowl XLII was one of the most exciting games that I have seen in a while. The lack of scoring isn’t an issue for me. I think that a solid defensive pass rush can be just as exciting. And the Giants defense brought it all night, making the game very exciting for me.
Concerning the media, what would you have them do? The Patriots are obviously the big story, coming in at 18-0, and having a chance at a perfect season. However, as Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser even said, going 16-0 or even 18-0 doesn’t matter when you don’t finish the season by winning the Superbowl. The Giants won, and deserve the attention. Sure, the Patriots had an amazing season — one of the best all time — but they don’t deserve the attention anymore because they lost.
The only other thing that I would like to mention is that I don’t think that Belichick handled the loss with class. He walked off the field intentionally before the game was even over. I didn’t see any of the press conference afterwards, but at least at the end of the game he acted like a jerk. I’m not sure if you saw PTI yesterday, but Michael Wilbon really called him out for his actions. I’m not saying that this was the attitude for the rest of the team, though, because I haven’t heard/seen anything about their reaction after the game.
February 5th, 2008 | 11:23 am
@Nathaniel: I just edited my statement about the media for more clarification. What I was trying to say is that the same people who hailed the Patriots as the best thing they had ever seen were killing them minutes after the Superbowl. They only lost by 3, it was not a blowout. I root against the Patriots like any other self-respecting Steeler fan, but several analysts were ripping them to shreds (horrible defense, horrible offense) and called the Giants the best team in the league. No. The Giants won at the right time, the Patriots were the best in the league this season. The Steelers were not the best team in the league during their recent Superbowl run, the Colts were. But as they always say, “That’s why you play the game.” I agree that the Patriots do not deserve any more attention now. They will always be remembered as a team of failure, and unless someone else approaches their mark for straight wins they will not be talked about at all.
Also I completely agree about Belichick, and I forgot to mention that in my post. Wilbon was calling him out on PTI and he was absolutely right to do so. Belichick is a smart coach, but he lacks any sense of respect to the team he is playing or the league. I credit the Patriots even more for showing some class in their post-game interviews with a leader as classless as him.
Lastly (wow I forgot a lot while writing this), Kevin Blackistone said yesterday that Eli was almost metaphorical in that amazing play to Tyree. In escaping that sack, it was like he was shrugging off all the doubters in New York from the last four years. Wow.
Finally, let Superbowl 42 stand as an example to anyone who believes otherwise. Defense. Wins. Championships. Just ask the team who holds the record for most points in a season.
February 5th, 2008 | 2:41 pm
I agree with you 100% that the media is in a way treating the Patriots unfairly after the Superbowl XLII loss. Like you said, the media was all over them for 18 and games and almost 4 quarters, then as soon as they lose everything they accomplished all year was forgotten. Like you, I am no Patriots fan and I was unbelievably pleased to see them lose, but as a sports fan and a fan of the NFL you have to tip your hats to the success they had all season long cheating or not. Shame on the fickle media. Shame on Belichick as well…like he’s demonstrated all season, he has no class. Kudos though to the players on the Patriots for after a heartbreaking loss crediting the Giants for their outstanding play. As for your comment, I have to disagree with you. Defense plays a gigantic role and may have won this championship, but look at some of the other high scoring affairs in Superbowl history. Offense offense offense. Also, how many turnovers and defensive points were scored in this game? However, the Giants defense shut down the most prolific scoring team in NFL history. I am officially done, because I just contradicted myself about three times. I’m looking very forward to your Superbowl commercial post…
February 5th, 2008 | 10:22 pm
lukes second to last sentence made me laugh out loud by myself.
February 6th, 2008 | 9:29 am
This is the reason that the Patriots will not be forgotten. First, 37-1 is a possibility. Secondly, not that any of you guys would know, but the most famous college wrestler of all time is Dan Gable. He went 119-1 in his college career, and lost his final wrestling match in the championship. Not as famous is Cael Sanderson, the man who went 159-0 and won the NCAA title 4 times.
There is a post about this on ESPN.com. A loss will make the Patriots unforgettable. Read here…http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=perfectpats
February 12th, 2008 | 8:26 pm
actually i have heard of Cael Sanderson and know tons about him. I have never heard of Dan Gable.