Five Things I Didn't Like About the Superbowl

1. It was a Lousy Game -- Superbowl XL was probably the most boring competitive game I can remember. The game was in doubt until the final three minutes so it was certainly better than most of the games from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s involving the Broncos or the Bills. Many would argue that the Rams-Pats and Rams-Titans were dull yet competitive, but at least those games had thrilling finishes. Yesterday's game just didn't excite me and most of the people I've spoken with today agree with my assessment. Maybe it was the lack of marquee players. Maybe it was the lack of great plays. The Randel El pass to Ward was a thing of beauty and Parker's 75 yard run was memorable, but as far as highlights go that was about it. I don't mind a low scoring game, but it seemed like the low score was more a product of poor offense than great defense.



2. The Patriots were not there -- I am not complaining. Three Superbowl appearances in five years is more than I could have hoped for. Still, it was strange not having the Pats on the field for the big game. We've certainly become spoiled. This reminded me a bit of the 1988 NBA season. The Celtics had been in the Finals three of the past four years but were knocked out by the Pistons in the '88 conference finals. Watching the Celtics in the Finals was pretty close to an annual event, like Christmas or Easter. It was starting to feel that way with the Patriots. The fact that the Pats were not playing bothered me more as the game went on because I knew the Patriots would have beaten either of those teams, injuries or not. Three Superbowl championships in a row would have been special since no one has ever accomplished that feat. Even if the Pats win it next season, it won't be as special as this one would have been. Again, I'm not complaining. Pittsburgh deserved the title. The Patriots, given their blunders in Denver, did not.



3. The Commercials -- This was easily the worst commercial lineup in recent Superbowl memory. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say that only "Beer Fridge" scored above a 5. Other than that, the ads offered nothing. They were not funny. They were not interesting. There were no innovative products introduced. Superbowl commercials have been getting progressively worse over the past few years. Where is Cedric the Entertainer when you need him?



4. The Officiating -- Ironically, the most heavily discussed call of the game (the dive to the goal line by Roethlisberger) was the controversial call that I had the least problem with. Big Ben was either stopped an inch short of the goal line or crossed it by an inch. There was simply no way to tell if he scored, even with replay. The offensive interference call on Darrell Jackson in the first half and the holding call in the second half that nullified what would have been a first and goal at the three for the Seahawks were questionable at best. The illegal block call on Hasselbeck was abominable. Seattle got the worst of pretty much every call all day long. It's almost like they imported basketball referees from the ACC and told them that the Steelers were Duke.



5. The Rolling Stones -- What an absolute shame that the Stones were geezering around on stage yesterday. I was completely embarrassed for Mick Jagger who at age 62 was strutting around the stage in a sleeveless shirt, chicken wattle undulating from under his arms. Though I must say, he moved around the stage nicely despite having legs like an Olsen Twin. Keith Richards and Ron Wood could be cadavers on CSI without the need for makeup. I am not sure what the Stones are getting paid for a performance these days but I am quite sure most of the money is spent on Viagra and hair dye. I feel bad for the NFL. They can't hire U2 every year and if they give the job to any band or performer under the age of 40 they run the risk of (a) seeing someone naked, (b) hearing a string of obscenities or (c) having an American flag burned on the stage.

More Notes

• I was thinking about how depressed the people in Seattle must be after the loss. Then I realized that they haven't seen the sun since August. They were going to be depressed either way.



• I am very happy for the Steelers. They are a likeable team and Bill Cowher deserved this one. He had come so close so many times. Roethlisberger played poorly, but not poorly enough to give the game away like so many Steeler quarterbacks of playoffs past. The Steeler fans earned it too. Their fan base is certainly among the top ten in professional sports in terms of loyalty, knowledge and passion. There were a lot of happy people with moustaches last night.



• USA Today's Ian O'Connor gives his thoughts on the game in an article called Super Bowl referees foul, but then so was everything else. USAToday also reviews the commericials in Monday's edition.



• ESPN's Bill Simmons offers a Superbowl Diary. On a side note, I wonder what Bill Simmons' admission rejection letter from Boston College would fetch on EBay?