Super spoiled
Andy Buss
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: Sports
Eli Manning drops back to pass, his New York underdog Giants trail the formidable and then undefeated New England Patriots 14-10. It's the last minute of the fourth quarter and New England brings the rush. Manning's jersey gets tugged, pulled and he nearly hits the ground. Somehow he fights free and heaves a duck-tailing pass 30 yards down field. A no-name receiver, David Tyree, leaps and smashes the ball against his helmet as he falls to the ground fighting Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison for control. Complete.
The Giants went on to finish the drive and win the game 17-14. Last year's Super Bowl XLII was without question one of the greatest football games every played - let alone Super Bowls. This year's championship seemed doomed to be the let-down, the kid brother, the second fiddle. But no.
The Steelers and Cardinals put on a show that those who witnessed it will not forget. The 100-yard interception return by James Harrison as time expired in the first half in and of itself was classic and astounding. But add that to the earth-shattering games by Larry Fitzgerald and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, and we got a dandy.
Kurt Warner, who has now racked up the three highest single-game passing totals in Super Bowl history, had a game for the ages. Unfortunately, Ben Roethlisberger stole the spotlight with the last hurrah.
The game was great, the commercials sub-par and the officiating horrible. This year, it seemed the analysts and experts were wary of the underdog. Though the Cardinals were the worst rushing team in the NFL during the regular season and the first nine-win team to reach the Super Bowl since the 1979 Los Angeles Rams, ESPN and writers around the country took note of the determined Giants of 2008 and held off on the writing-off.
Smart choice.
What I'm getting at here is that sports fans everywhere should truly appreciate these last two Super Bowls and what has taken place. I've seen about 15 in my day, and I had never seen anything like last year's - until this year. The chances that we'll see something like these back-back blockbusters in the next 30 years are slim. Performances like Fitzgerald's post-season and Holmes Super Bowl are once in a lifetime and the "I remember when…" memories we carry with us through life to tell our children and grandchildren.
You may think I'm going a little bit over the top with this, but true sports fans - true football fans - know what has occurred. For those of you who don't quite grasp it, it's not a big deal. If you keep watching the big game, you'll grow to appreciate this two-year span. Let's go for three.
The Giants went on to finish the drive and win the game 17-14. Last year's Super Bowl XLII was without question one of the greatest football games every played - let alone Super Bowls. This year's championship seemed doomed to be the let-down, the kid brother, the second fiddle. But no.
The Steelers and Cardinals put on a show that those who witnessed it will not forget. The 100-yard interception return by James Harrison as time expired in the first half in and of itself was classic and astounding. But add that to the earth-shattering games by Larry Fitzgerald and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, and we got a dandy.
Kurt Warner, who has now racked up the three highest single-game passing totals in Super Bowl history, had a game for the ages. Unfortunately, Ben Roethlisberger stole the spotlight with the last hurrah.
The game was great, the commercials sub-par and the officiating horrible. This year, it seemed the analysts and experts were wary of the underdog. Though the Cardinals were the worst rushing team in the NFL during the regular season and the first nine-win team to reach the Super Bowl since the 1979 Los Angeles Rams, ESPN and writers around the country took note of the determined Giants of 2008 and held off on the writing-off.
Smart choice.
What I'm getting at here is that sports fans everywhere should truly appreciate these last two Super Bowls and what has taken place. I've seen about 15 in my day, and I had never seen anything like last year's - until this year. The chances that we'll see something like these back-back blockbusters in the next 30 years are slim. Performances like Fitzgerald's post-season and Holmes Super Bowl are once in a lifetime and the "I remember when…" memories we carry with us through life to tell our children and grandchildren.
You may think I'm going a little bit over the top with this, but true sports fans - true football fans - know what has occurred. For those of you who don't quite grasp it, it's not a big deal. If you keep watching the big game, you'll grow to appreciate this two-year span. Let's go for three.
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