It’s been about 21 hours since Super Bowl XL ended, and I still can’t figure a few things out. The biggest dilemma has been “Which is worse? Seattle fans whining that they got screwed by the refs, or Pittsburgh fans A) whining that they deserved any bad calls that went their way because of the Colts game, or B) coming out flat holier-than-thou about how shaky calls are just part of the game. One thing I know for sure, is I’m oh-so-ready for the NHL season to get back from the Olympic break they take off for in a week so that the playoff push, and subsequent actual playoffs can take place.
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Of course, dozens of minions around the NFL world were likely waiting for the gospel according to Bill Simmons, which didn’t disappoint. At least it didn’t disappoint in that he apparently wrote the thing, as expected, with Tom Brady’s yambag perched on the bridge of his nose. In a running diary about a game not involving any teams from the greater New England area, his column drops five “Brady” references, four “Belichick” references, and uses the word “Patriots” six times.
Dude, get over yourself. At one point, he mentions that “”the Patriots would have killed either of these teams.” Yeah, well unfortunately for you, they had to play Denver instead. And lost. Shut the hell up already.
Just when I give him a smidge of credit for a Julio Franco mention and a damn solid Clint Malarchuk reference – and thanks to Wikipedia, the world can watch one of the nastiest sports-related injuries ever, as Clint’s jugular makes Joe Theismann’s leg look like a mild cramp – he goes on and mentions for the 85th time that “the NFL just can’t have a Super Bowl without Brady and/or Belichick”. Well, Bill, I’m pretty sure they’ve had 37 of ’em.
I’m still waiting for the day that his high horse gets hit by a train.
One other thing I didn’t realize until earlier today, but the Burger King commercial during the game last night might have been the exact moment when the creepy King guy crossed the line.
“You choo-choo-choose me?”
I personally enjoyed the girl on girl on girl on girl on meat patty action.
Um, Denver and Jacksonville and the Colts and the Bengals would have crushed the Steelers too.
Pittsburgh beat a bunch of good teams while playing superb football, thereby earning the right to play an NFC team, i.e. one you can combust against and still beat. If the Pats are so great they wouldn’t have self-destructed against the first legitimate competition they had faced in weeks.
And fwiw, the pass interference and TD calls were right, the hold was holding but marginal and not worth calling, and the PF on Hasselbeck was inexplicable.
The refs didn’t win that game for Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger did. See, Ben played horribly, but is still enough of a player to make a few huge plays. Kinda like Derek Jeter going 2-30 in a series but hitting 2 game-winning singles.
Compare that with Hasselbeck, who’s great at throwing 8-yard outs and 12-yard crossing passes, but has neither the arm nor the accuracy nor the vision to pass vertically.
Tom Brady has won plenty of games by playing poorly but making a few game-changing plays. Add Ben to that list.
Put MH on the Donovan McNabb mediocre all-stars.