Monday (Super Bowl) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on February 4th, 2008 – 7:55 AMBy Michael Rand
One of the best Super Bowls we’ve ever seen. Let’s get right to it:
Five things we can’t believe:
*Belichick leaving the field early. Seriously, we don’t care how much the game hurts. That was unconscionable. Completely classless. If that sort of move put Randy Moss on the train out of Minnesota (or at least onto the light rail to the airport, where he could then get out of Minnesota), what does this do to Belichick’s reputation? With Spygate resurfacing this weekend, it hasn’t exactly been a great time to be Bill. “I’m disappointed in Belichick,” the RandBall Better Half said. “What kind of message is that?” That’s worse than angry. But she’s right. That was a big middle finger extended to everyone except him — his team, the Giants, the league, everyone.
*Eli Manning somehow escaping the rush to make the play of the game, when David Tyree made the catch of the game, on that final drive. That kind of play draws gasps in the preseason. And this was the Super Bowl.
*Just how bad Tom Brady looked. The defense played a huge role in that, but we’re wondering if the ankle really was more injured than was let on. We can’t explain all the throws he missed or his poor mechanics any other way. All of the underthrows. Missing Moss in the end zone on first down late (before eventually hitting him on third down). That never happens.
*The 8-8 Vikings defeated this year’s Super Bowl champion 41-17. The Giants were laughably bad in that game. Eli Manning was a complete joke. Just how far that team and QB came this year is astonishing. Also: When was the last time the Vikings defeated the eventual Super Bowl champs. Good question. So we looked it up. Many years they didn’t play the champ. Three times they lost. Until we get back to … 1996 regular season? Ding! The Vikings defeated the eventual Super Bowl champions 30-21 in Week 4 (and also lost 38-10 in Week 17). Said champion escapes us.
*Watershed victories for the Mannings in back-to-back years, both against Tom Brady and the Patriots. We have to admit: We were riveted whenever they showed Peyton. Everything about it was very real.
Plays that time will forget that could have been storylines if not for the insanity of what eventually happened in the fourth quarter:
*The Giants’ 10-minute opening drive. Loved it. There’s your unsung reason for being in the game early. That thing took one-third of the entire first half.
*12 men on the field on the punt giving the Patriots a first down. Seriously, how did that not doom the Giants?
*Belichick eschewing a field goal on 4th-and-13 from the 31 and instead going for it. How on earth does he make that call? Oh, right.
*How the Patriots didn’t recover the Bradshaw-Manning fumbled exchange.
*Eli missing a wide open Plaxico and then Toomer getting stopped a yard short of a first down midway through the fourth quarter with the Giants having a chance to perhaps move down the field for a crippling score. We really thought that was going to be the turning point, and it almost was.
It almost seems wrong to talk about non-football things at a time like this. But:
*Commercials we liked: Pepsi Max “What is Love?” Effective, with humor that pertained to the message. Cars.com: One of the funniest of the night, with the ring of fire. Tide stain remover commercial: Our personal favorite, at least before halftime. Just perfect. Shaq as a jockey. But we forget what he was endorsing.
*Commercials we didn’t like: The one with Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning. The Bud Light wine and cheese party commercial. Because guys can’t do anything with their special lady friends unless they get to sneak beer and TV into the mix. This dead horse is dead. And not funny. Did we mention dead? Stop beating Barbaro, Budweiser.
*Commercials that were offensive in the worst kind of way: Sales Genie. Seriously, folks, who approved this? (The folks at MVN obviously agree).
*Commercial that made the RandBall Better Half say, “He gets his butt touched for buying a computer?” Dell.
*Commercial that we missed half of because we were eating chips in the kitchen: The new Twins ad. Looked decent enough for what we saw.
*Page view competition: Mysapce.com/superbowlads vs. GoDaddy.com and its not-so-clever use of a certain animal.
*It’s official: We want to see, “Wanted” even though we don’t really remember what it’s about.
*American Girl. Won’t Back Down. Free Fallin’. Runnin’ Down a Dream. Tom Petty should be allowed to play every Super Bowl. He is beloved across generations (even if he looked “weird” according to us and, as Local Quipster said, a little like Chris from Family Guy).
Final thoughts:
*With about 10 minutes left, we thought about how we maybe wanted New England to win. It was just a genuinely great season. Right now, we’re conflicted. (To prove it, we haven’t even e-mailed Lizzy). We didn’t have a great rooting interest either way. Going into the Giants’ last drive, we could have accepted either outcome. It was a great game. That’s all we wanted.
*What happens to Belichick now? Seriously, is this the start of some sort of tragic fall?
*We heard a pre-game radio interview with Randy Moss (Jim Gray, we believe) in which he said all the right things before slipping up and (we can’t remember the exact words) thanking the Patriots organization for getting him a ring. That was our first serious inkling that New England might be in real trouble.
*At least 12 more months of Mercury [redacted] Morris.
64 Responses to "Monday (Super Bowl) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
I should have guessed that the Proprietor would somehow bring this great game back to the Vikings.
Now how long will it be before P3 turns this post into a rant about how great the Packers are and how horrible the Vikings are?
And may God strike Mercury Morris down with a bolt of lightning. Man is that guy a real [redacted] hole.
That was a big middle finger extended to everyone except him — his team, the Giants, the league, everyone.
He learned it from watching Dave Hakstol.
So, do the ‘72 Dolphins still get to celebrate last-undefeated-losses? I am pissed if they do. Pats beat 17-0, I say it’s open season on any Dolphin carrying champagne. Also, bummed about the Giants winning. I remember when the got smoked in Super Bowl XXXV. I was living in NY at the time, and I laughed and laughed … I was almost killed. Stupid Giants, I am bitter.
Also, I liked the “drama” commercials this year. The anti-smoking one esp., thought it was well done.
Turn those machines back on!
The text I received from my brother immediately following the game. Then I go to KSK and they have the same title for their post. Eerie. (and, no, my brother didn’t see the KSK site, he was at the Cardinal).
I agree about Belichick leaving early but who cares really. I wouldn’t have cared if he never came back after the half.
Also agree something looked wrong with Brady. Of course, largely what looked wrong was 500 + lbs on his arm and back, so the issue wasn’t as much with him but that the Giants D line and backers put on the best pass rush I have ever seen..in any game. Awesome !!
But, lastly I disagree on Tom Petty and his Heartpacers. I mean the guy’s last hit was 1955, he has that Methuselah look and he couldn’t stop saying “thank you” to those bussed in thousands of teeny bustiers on the playing field. C’mon..new music next year. Prince is a clown and isn’t my cup of New Earth tea, but he actually performed something from this century.
But, anyway…Congrats Giants, I was pulling for the Pats the Bunny until you showed up with that smash mouth rush of yours…Great game !!
I actually enjoyed the talking baby commercials. I know that makes me a bad person. I usually hate those commercials (ex: Quizno’s poorly concieved , but the e-trade ones were well done.
jama, Giants beat the pack the same way…awesome pass rush. As for Vikings, I’ll let their record speak for itself…
I understand that my last comment didn’t come through quite clearly, my browser refreshed and posted before I finished. Really good.
Anyway, I intended to say that I usually don’t like talking baby ads with Quizno’s poorly conceived ads from a few years back being a prime example.
I think one Tom Petty halftime is enough. It was entertaining, particularly the guitar flying through the crowd to impregnate the heart in the middle of the field. That was almost as phallic as Prince’s curtain show last year.
I want to see the Foo Fighters next year at the Super Bowl. I think they’d put on an awesome show and I don’t think they’d really turn off much of the viewing audience.
I guarante that this, Belichick leaving the field early thing, is going to be completely overblown. The clock on the field read that there was 0.0 seconds left according to reports. One second was then put back on the clock. It wasn’t like Bill just ran off the field. He did go shake Coughlin’s hand and then left. I didn’t think it was a big deal at all. How many of you would like to lose the Super Bowl and then watch the other team celebrate for 5 minutes? Not me.
*guarantee
jama, I agree, I think the Belichick thing was totally blown out of proportion. Whoever was working the clock last night was definitely high in the 4th quarter. I’ve seen some bad clock-work, but this was the Super Bowl for God’s sake! I think it’s safe to say that guy is fired.
And by the way, of all the actors in the world, Robert Downey Jr. would probably be the 212th pick to play a super hero(IronMan). Macaulay Culkin must have been busy filming Aqua Man.
Not too often during a game, any game from soccer to b’ball to football when you look back at it later and wonder what happen, a game like this comes along where one team really did very little wrong, but the other team did almost everything right. Such was this last game. Tough to pick it apart, except maybe to say that the Giant’s D played out of their minds.
Also, despite how amazing that catch by Tyree was, I think there needs to be some appreciation of how fortunate he was to fall on Harrison’s legs. If he had hit the ground trying to make that catch the ball would have popped right the hell out of his hands.
That was seriously the perfect storm of good fortune for the Giants. Eli was almost sacked by four guys…and gets away. He then throws a pass way the hell over his receiver’s head…but Tyree somehow pins it to his helmet, then maintains control behind his head, and by landing on the defender’s legs the ball doesn’t hit the ground. When that play happened it was obvious that the Patriots were [redacted].
Has anyone heard any explanation on why the Patriots didn’t try a FG attempt when they had that 4th and 13? That was probably one of the worst decisions in a big game that I can remember. Well that and Denny G taking a knee!!!
Jama, the only explanation (and this came from an tv announcer so you know it originated from his lower orifice) was that Belichick wasn’t sure the kicker could make it from that distance and if the kick was missed Belichick didn’t want to give the Giants a better field position…that’s all I’ve heard or read
Did anyone else see that the “Mountain from Minnesota who is actually from SD” almost get his lower leg torn off in that UFC match? For as big and strong as he is, he doesn’t really know much about MMA.
P3
I also heard that explanation but the missed FG would have only given the Giants an extra 7 yards. Which is more likely, getting a first down on 4th and 13 or making a 48 yard FG? I think I’d take my chances with the FG or punt if you don’t think you can make the FG.
I was sitting here reading a wonderful blog about the Super Bowl and someone has to mention the UFC. I thought this was a sports blog?
“Tom Petty looks good for 126 years old.” - Overheard on Sunday
*Let’s stop giving Brady excuses. He played like crap in a big game; can’t he just be a screwup, instead of injured? Is it, you know, possible that the Giants pass rush made him a little jumpy - especially, like on the play where he missed Moss in the end zone, when he had to check down to a secondary receiver?
*Salesgenie.com: Using racist stereotypes to sell spam emails since 2008. Wait until the NBA Finals, when they’re planning to bring out an ad with ten Speedy Gonzalezes packed into a low-rider.
I think this Super Bowl proves that Joe Montana is still the greatest Quarterback in the modern/post merger/Super Bowl era. Brady had every oppurtunity as did Favre in his last Super Bowl to win the game and he did’t.
Jon, the Salesgenie.com ads were mindblowing. I mean, who signed off on those? The common reaction: “Good Lord, they spent all of that money to make themselves look like racists?!” High quality work.
Jon, I also don’t think the injury was Brady’s problem in playing poorly. However, I do wonder how much of the pressure on him was the talent of the defensive line vs. surprising ineptitude from a usually solid offensive line.
Also, why no max protect schemes when the Pats saw that the Giants were relentlessly blitzing? I mean, going empty backfield after seeing what the Giants were doing just seems like suicide.
Jama, I agree esp. since a) they are indoors and b) the guy has hit from 52 before. Sometimes the offensive “power” goes to Belichick’s head, and he thinks he can power it up anytime to get that 1st down, but you would think watching for the whole game his O line get decimated by the Giants that he should have played it safe. Personally, I think he lost because he looks alot better in his old blue ratty sweatshirt than that brand new red sweatshirt his ma might have dressed him in that day.
P3, I think Belichick had a wedding to attend earlier that day, he didn’t have time to change out of his Sunday finest…
I lost money on the game so I’m upset.
Commercials were ok, pretty much as expected. I didn’t think SalesGenie could get any worse than the materialistic girl who gets a puppy but they did. Bravo.
I liked the baby eTrade commercials. Also the Doritos mouse trap commercial. I too, have no idea what Shaq was selling, but it was funny.
Thought the Super Bowl was pretty good. Not a big fan of either team, so that was a downer, if I liked either team id have been much happier. Belichick is an [redacted], this just cemented it. Maybe Mercury Morris and him can get together and have a back slapping contest.
Now that Johan is a MET and the Giants just won the Superbowl, do we have to start talking about them again instead of Boston?
Tom Petty …. BLECH!!!! I knew they wouldnt play his best song due to political correctness, but where was the duet with Stevie Nicks when you need it?
I’m predicting an Onion article about Gisele breaking up with Brady for Eli. You heard read it here first.
Off-topic: Tiger Woods 2-0 to start the season. One a blowout, the other a come-from-behind win. It looks like it might be a really special season for the #1 golfer in the world.
[/irritating those who want this post to only be about football and ads]
Can someone please research how many Patriots games Gisele attended this year? I certainly didn’t see them all, but also don’t remember seeing her in the stands until yesterday (she doesn’t strike me as much of a football fan…) Could it be the Tony Romo effect that made Tom nervous?
I enjoyed the football match.
Bud Light - Suck one.
Thank you for reminding me of that, roughkat. Awesome.
Since when can teams call penalties? (12 men on the field) No flag was thrown, how can you review that? Can you now challenge holding or pass interference when no flag is thrown?
I must have missed this Sales Genie ad, can someone give me a summary. I actually thought the Justin Timberlake commercial was somewhat clever.
[Insert remarks aboout my man hood here]
AZ, I tried to find out the answer to your question, but I had this gnawing feeling that she was not part of the Brady Bunch Sun Night..
I wonder if the Gophers had a retractable dome like U of Phoenix if they might get a few more blue chippers …
The Gophers could play in the Taj Mahal and they still wouldn’t get blue chippers. The reason programs like Michigan, Notre Dame, etc are better programs is because they realize that footbal produces money that in turn helps education. The administration at the U just don’t care about football or the money that it brings forth. It has been the same for basketball, even though Tubby should alleviate some of that.
Even with a new stadium the Gopher football team will not win more that 8 games a year.
Commercials:
Etrade baby was the best….first one setup the second one perfectly. The fact that at the beginning the baby had to stop and start again due to the clown’s balloon-tying noise is classic.
Runners up to Tide talking stain and Coke Macy’s parade balloons.
Worst commercials…definitely Sales Genie…how those got on the air is completely beyond me….stereotype city.
But the worst has to be the out of work drug dealer where at the end they scream out: “HEY KIDS, YOU CAN GET HIGH FROM THE PILLS IN YOUR PARENTS’ BATHROOM! SERIOUSLY!” I mean, they do know kids watch the Super Bowl too? Why not run an ad next year reminding kids how much alcohol is in Listerine?
They don’t care if your kids get high or not, they just care about the money the commericial just made for them.
skolvikings: Is that what you hope or what you’re actually predicting?
I mean, Vikings fans wouldn’t want a winning football team in this town if it wasn’t theirs.
I guess I’m just sensing bitterness that the Gophs get a stadium and the Vikes don’t (and probably won’t at a one billion dollar price tag).
The biggest problem with Tom Petty was the facial hair. Totally unnecessary and completely unforgivable. I’m fine with him playing only old, inoffensive stuff–that’s what super bowl performers are paid to do. Just like Paul McCartney and Prince before him. He played good songs that everyone basically knows and likes, and didn’t go past that. But seriously–that beard…
The Giants just beat them in every way, shape and form. End of story. They knocked the Pats around so much early that the timing was off, and we all know that Moss needs the ball a few times early to get going. He always has. And they were never able to get it to him.
I just wish that we had someone other than Joe Buck calling it–maybe we could have gotten a call like “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant” out of it.
Pills in the medicine cabinet or beer? Kids have been exposed to beer ads for years. It all boils down to money.
An old hippy having a beard is completely unforgivable?
Also, Bill Simmons is amazingly restrained. No whining about calls or luck or anything–just the realization that the Pats got outplayed and got beat.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080204
MR: Agreed on Joe Buck, his call of the biggest play of the game was so understated that, if I weren’t watching, I wouldn’t have even thought anything happened.
Skol, you’re missing my point….a “keep kids off drugs” ad that screams that kids don’t need to go to the dealer near the convenience store anymore because it’s all readily available right at home in other forms isn’t necessarily a smart play.
And the ad was a non-profit so money has nothing to do with it. Do you think they were trying to sell medicine cabinet locks?
That is a prediction, I want them to win. Having a winning Gopher program would do wonders for this area. No I’m not jealous that the Vikes didn’t get stadium, because I still hold out hope that they will. Zygi will realize how much money he can make on the $1 billion investment and he will come through. I hope. If not it is going to be the LA Vikings and they I will become a huge Bears fan. There is not enough beer in the world to get me to become a cheesehead!!
Rood Dog - Re: “Not necessarily a smart play”
Bahaha….I love that skit Dave….
skolvikings: Yeah, Zygi is really going to have to step up if he wants what he’s asking for. I think he’s going to have to front a lot of the money. I think the state/city is going to be reluctant to help through taxes for awhile (at least until the tax for the Twins stadium elapses…it’s going to elapse right?).
I don’t know who I’d follow as an NFL team if the Vikings moved. I’d probably just follow the teams where Gopher alumni play (I do that anyway). I could see the team moving though, as I get the feeling their stadium deal is going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to pull off than the Twins or Gophers. Maybe too difficult.
Oh yeah, this just in…crime does pay.
I also follow Gophers players, I never thought in my life I would cheer for the Cowboys but I have the last couple of years because of Marion the Barbarian. The only exception was when Darrel Thompson played for the Packers.
Just how ironic was it to see Randy Moss standing on the sidelines for the last play when his coach had already left the field?
skol: Yeah it’s tough that the two best Gophers in the NFL are on two relatively unlikeable teams. Oh well, that’s what influenced who I cheered for last night. I wanted a ring for Maroney (and I kind of wanted to see history), but without that it wouldn’t really matter to me who won.
I was completely ambivalent about the game B4 it started though I thought the Giants last bit of luck came on Favre’s wiff at Lambeau. However, when the Giant’s started giving Brady 3 seconds to dump off the ball, I switched over to rooting for the Giants if only because as a former d-back in a far away place I clearly remember that my job was made easy if the monsters up front did theirs that well. And it really had zip to do with Brady’s mobility. He’s never been that mobile, and even if he was there was no place to go. But, maybe, I switched to become a Giant fan (for only this one day) since as a kid one of my cartoon heroes was Underdog !!
“When criminals (spygate) in this world appear,
And break the laws that they should fear,
And frighten all who see or hear,
The cry goes up both far and near for
Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!
Speed of lightning! Roar of thunder!
Fighting all who rob or plunder!
Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!”
Rood Dog
The point of the ad is to let Parents know that Kids are stealing prescription drugs from the Parents. If you think this is promoting it you are about a decade behind what is going on. Kids already know that they can get high this way, the ad is trying to clue in the parents on what is going on.
Look at the MN Student Survey and you will see that students are abusing Prescription Drugs at an insane rate already.
jama, agreed….I work(ed) with these kids and they know far better than their parents how to make “salads” …mixing vic..dins and tylenol with code..e anything at all to get a buzz far better than with any ’script alone. The ad was good if maybe too heavy handed but parents won’t pay attention anyway even if 2 -3 of their painkillers are missing anyway. Sad
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the Fedex “carrier pigeon” commerical. That was hilarious.
Also, the coke commerical with james carvelle and bill frist was pretty funny.
I thought the coke commerical with carvelle and frist was pretty funny too, but might have missed it’s mark with people over 18 or 25 or those politically brain dead. Still funny though, but that Fedex pigeon commercial with huge birds dropping cars through windows was a scream. Bonus !!!
Right Jama….but there’s also a ton of eight year olds out there that don’t necessarily need this flagged to them….I’m not saying it was a bad ad, I’m saying it was poorly placed….something like Letterman would hit the intended audience without risking a reverse desired effect…
Rood Dog
It is the bang for the buck theory. You are getting to almost 100 million sets of eye balls with one ad, I don’t think it was that misplaced at all. Most 8 year olds probably didn’t understand the ad anyway.
