Some final thoughts on the Super Bowl

Justin Tuck should have been the MVP. I assume they let the fans vote, which is stupid. Why don't they let people who actually watch the game vote, instead of letting people who are sitting around eating nachos and drinking beer vote for the glamor position. Justin Tuck: two sacks, one forced fumble, part of the Giants' four-man defensive line that put a ton of pressure on Tom Brady. Eli Manning? Please. One great play, and one excellent read of the defense on the game-winning touchdown. That's not an MVP.

Bill Belichick is kind of a tool, isn't he? The refs tried to tell him that they needed to run one more play, but he pushed them out of the way and ran off the field, leaving his team behind. I always knew he was kind of a sore loser, but he really proved it yesterday. Jerk.

Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants' defensive coordinator, learned how to coach defense from Jim Johnson, the Eagles' defensive coordinator. I just needed to point that out, to take some solace from Philadelphia's sorrows.

On that early long pass to Amani Toomer, why wasn't offensive pass interference called? Toomer clearly shoved the defender in the face mask to get separation, and two officials were watching the play. What the crap? Usually the Cheaters get all the calls, but that one went totally the Giants' way.

Why was Belichick allowed to challenge the fact that the refs didn't call the penalty when the Giants had 12 men on the field on that punt? No call was made, so you're allowed to challenge that? Does that mean if you believe a penalty has been committed, you can throw the challenge flag and they can call one? Earlier in the playoffs, David Garrard picked up a fourth-and-one against the Steelers when an offensive lineman clearly held. Could Mike Tomlin have thrown a flag on that, and the refs could have retroactively called a penalty? How is Belichick's challenge flag allowed?

David Tyree's catch has to be one of the top three or four in Super Bowl history. Lynn Swann's catch is probably still #1, but this was a great one.

I mentioned this in the comments to the previous post, but I have no idea why the roof was closed. It was a decent day here on Sunday, and I don't think rain was in the forecast. It's been chilly here all week, but it's still not that cold, and apparently, the humidity that wore the Giants out toward the end is a common problem at the UPS. The field completely rolls out of the stadium (it's pretty cool, actually), and water does get in there and stay there, causing the humidity when the temperature goes up. It's dumb to close the roof, because what's the point of having an outdoor Super Bowl anymore? The teams should play in some elements, after all, even it's just a bit of chill.

When does the regular season start?

Frankly, I'm shocked

I've decided I'm happier that the Cheaters lost than angrier that Eli Manning is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and an undeserving MVP and that an NFC East team won the championship before the Eagles did. But I'm still shocked. I'm still not entirely sure how it happened (and, to be honest, I didn't watch the whole game). Surprisingly enough, if you rush the passer effectively, you can shut down a good offense. Who knew?

So in the end, the Cheaters get theirs. And as I saw Randy Moss and Junior Seau looking like they were going to cry, I thought, "Yeah, fuck you guys." I don't want to hate the Cheaters, because I admire a lot of what they do, but as many long-time winners get, they started to get a bit full of themselves, so it's nice to see them taken down a peg. Is this the beginning of the end of the New England dynasty?

I'm also not worried about New Jersey dominating the league, because I'm still not all that impressed with them. They could easily miss the playoffs next year. We'll see.

Of course, now Mercury Morris will be even more insufferable. Please, national media, stop calling him up to get quotes from him. Man, what asshole. Maybe next year no team will be undefeated late in the year, so nobody talks to Morris and his geriatric cronies.

Anyway, good job, New Jersey. I'm stunned.

Final thoughts on the Super Bowl, plus a look ahead

Let's put this season to bed!

* Peyton Manning's status is unchanged after the Super Bowl. He didn't deserve his MVP, and I would have loved to see voters have the balls to give it to the entire offensive line. Whether he won or not, he's still one of the best in the game (even though I don't like him). Winning championships in the ultimate team game doesn't make you "great." John Elway was great before he won Super Bowls. Dan Marino and Warren Moon and Dan Fouts are great quarterbacks. If you want to discuss greatest quarterbacks ever and base it on championships, it's easy: Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw.

* Of course, that doesn't mean Rex Grossman didn't stink and cost his team a win. Chicago needs to think long and hard about whether he should be their long-term starter. It's not that he played poorly, it's that he couldn't get the center exchange down correctly! What the hell?

* Why don't teams put more pressure on Peyton Manning? I know some teams try and fail, but the Bears didn't even try. The only way to beat Manning is to pressure him. The Colts have the ultimate rhythm offense, and Chicago allowed him to get in a rhythm early. Stupid. Sure, you might give up a big play, but fortune favors the bold! Many quarterbacks don't like to be rushed - who would? - but Manning really doesn't like it.

* This was on of those Super Bowls that, for me, was no-win. If the Colts won, we'd get to hear how Manning is the greatest quarterback ever for the entire offseason (and beyond). If the Bears won, we'd hear about Da Bears! forever and how blue-collar they were and how Chicago deserved a championship, even though the damned town won SIX of them in the 1990s. I didn't like either team, so now I'm stuck with hearing about the greatest team ever for eight months. Win a few more, Indianapolis, and we'll see.

* So who wins next year? Let's break down the divisions and look at the only teams who could possibly win it (teams in bold could win):

AFC East: New England, New Jersey Jets, Buffalo, Miami. The Jets are a nice story, but can't go much further than they did this year, Buffalo doesn't have the quarterback, and Miami is a mess.
AFC North: Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland. The Steelers are breaking in a new coach, and without a power running game, Roethlisberger is vulnerable. Cleveland is Cleveland. Sorry, Browns fans!
AFC South: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston. I'm not buying Vince Young yet, and the Texans are a horrible franchise.
AFC West: San Diego, Denver, Kansas City, Oakland. Denver will be breaking in a new quarterback, Kansas City doesn't have a good one (Green is too old), and Oakland vies with Houston for worst franchise in the league.

NFC East: Philadelphia, New Jersey Giants, Dallas, Washington. Two words for the Giants: Eli Manning. Three more words: No Tiki Barber. The Cowboys will have a new coach, an old Terrell Owens, and a new quarterback. Washington has a new quarterback and not much else.
NFC North: Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay, Detroit. Chicago by default, really. The Vikings don't have much at quarterback, Green Bay gets another year of Favre (good for the rest of the league, bad for the Packers), and the Lions retained Matt Millen, so they obviously don't care about winning at all.
NFC South: New Orleans, Carolina, Tampa, Atlanta. The Panthers are too weird, the Buccaneers have quarterback issues, and Atlanta gets another year of Michael Vick. Maybe he'll surprise us all, but I doubt it.
NFC West: Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Arizona. Yes, the 49ers. St. Louis had its chances, but they don't protect Bulger at all. Arizona is a year away. They might actually make the playoffs this year.

That's 11 teams out of 32 that have a realistic shot at winning the Super Bowl. Since 12 teams make the playoffs, some loser team will get in! So who wins? Well, you know I'm going to say the Eagles, but here's why: If (and it's a big "if," to be sure) Andy Reid commits to the run like he did at the end of this season, McNabb can stay healthy because he won't be doing everything himself, and they can win the Big One. I hope Andy Reid saw the light this season. We'll see at the beginning of next year. If he reverts to form, then I don't know. Indianapolis seems to have the best team, but they'll be the targets, and that's never good. Why not New England?

* Is it September yet?????

If Prince had any balls ...

... he'd say "Screw CBS!" and play some hard core Prince music. Here's what I'd love to hear at the Super Bowl Half Time Show™ tomorrow (not that I'll be watching, but still):

1. "My Name Is Prince" - complete with the lyric "I'm prone to layin' some chrome upside some motherfucker's dome!"

2. "Let's Pretend We're Married" - how can you resist a song in which the Purple One whispers, "I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth"?

3. "Gett Off" - jazz flute, man!

4. "P Control" - the "P" does not stand for Prince.

5. Anything from his 2001 jazz-fusion-Jehovah's Witness-almost unlistenable release, The Rainbow Children. Just to freak people out.

I have no idea how many songs he will do - I picked five. But because he has no balls, plus because he's all "religious" now and won't do the dirty stuff, plus because most people think Prince fell off the planet in 1986 and hasn't been heard from since, here's what I think he will do:

1. "Let's Go Crazy" - I will fall off my chair if he doesn't sing this.

2. "1999" - even though it's about nuclear war and we're in 2007, this is still a big hit.

3. "Black Sweat" - he has to do a song from the new album, right?

4. "Kiss" - this might be a reach, but I still think it's probable.

5. "Purple Rain" - I like this song, but come on, Mr. Nelson! I think he'll bow to the old-timers, who think they're being "hip" and "with-it" by name-checking songs that were released 23 years ago.

Anyone have any ideas what he might sing, and what you want him to sing? Even the songs I mentioned he'll probably do would be fine, because they're pretty freakin' good. They're just, you know, tired.