toad
02-06-2006, 08:36 AM
What a "Blaaaah" Super Bowl....by far my least favorite of recent years. It just seemed to uneventful. Maybe because we were so close then faltered but it just seemed like another game to me.
I can appreciated the "story book" ending for Bettis. I like Bettis, I think he's overrated, but he's hard not to like. He's one player I can honestly say "I'm glad he got a ring." Same goes for Hines Ward, in that sense.
Beyond that, what a "blaaaaah" game this was.
No great "under dog" story like the Pat's win against the heavily favored Rams or the true Cinderella-story of the Panthers a few years later.
- Sure, Pittsburgh was the #6 seed and all but everyone knows they were far better than a #6. They were 15-1 last season, ran the tables this regular season after dropping to 7-5, then took at the top 3 seeds in the conference on the road? They were a Super Bowl favorite before the season and they would have won a few of those losses had Roethlisberger stayed healthy. That's no "under dog" story to me.
- Seattle was the "under dog" in this game but, hey, they were NFC favorites all year. There's so much parity in the NFC it seems like any one of 4-5 teams could have been in the big dance. Seattle played a soft schedule, in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, but they did play strong in the playoffs (particulary against a surging, physical Carolina team).
Everyone played poorly.
- Seattle dominated the first half; how they were down 7-3 at halftime I have no idea. They could move the rock, they just couldn't seal the deal.
- Pittsburgh's offense looked sluggish the entire game. Take away the 75 yard Parker run and the "gadget" pass to Ward and they really did next to nothing.
- Brown's missed FGs. They were long...but you've got to convert one of those.
Strange/Questionable Calls.
- Darrall Jackson's Pass Interference. By strict literal interpretation of the rule I guess it was PI but both Jackson and the defender were scrambling in the endzone and there was a lot of coincidental contact just as the ball left Hasselbeck's hands. 9 out of 10 times that's a no call on the field...just so happened Jackson was in the endzone and close to a referee. It looked a little late too -- almost like the flag didn't fly until the defender looked at the ref with his arms in the air.
- Roethlisberger's TD. Its good the call on the field stood, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it, but I'm still not convinced it was the right call to begin with.
- Sean Locklear's holding. Looked questionable to me -- let 'em play. The single biggest game-changing play. You go from 1st and Goal from the 1 to zilch.
- Hasselbeck's block below the knees. I understand this rule for lineman, down the field offensive blocking, etc but Hasselbeck was trying to make a defensive play. Just seemed strange to me.
No Real Drama.
- No massive "under dog" story like the Pats and 6th round draft pick Brady.
- No history between the teams like Gruden vs Raiders a few years ago.
- No last second heroics like Delhommes inspired play only to be grounded by Brady and Viniteiri.
- It was over too early. With 7 minutes left in this game there was just that feeling the "P" was already being etched on the Lombardi. No chances for the likes of Delhomme or McNabb to mount a comeback against the closest thing to a modernday dynasty.
Halftime.
- I like the Stones, but they sounded like crap last night. The mix was poor and the guitars sounded muddy.
It all just seemed so uneventful to me....just another Sunday night game IMO.
I can appreciated the "story book" ending for Bettis. I like Bettis, I think he's overrated, but he's hard not to like. He's one player I can honestly say "I'm glad he got a ring." Same goes for Hines Ward, in that sense.
Beyond that, what a "blaaaaah" game this was.
No great "under dog" story like the Pat's win against the heavily favored Rams or the true Cinderella-story of the Panthers a few years later.
- Sure, Pittsburgh was the #6 seed and all but everyone knows they were far better than a #6. They were 15-1 last season, ran the tables this regular season after dropping to 7-5, then took at the top 3 seeds in the conference on the road? They were a Super Bowl favorite before the season and they would have won a few of those losses had Roethlisberger stayed healthy. That's no "under dog" story to me.
- Seattle was the "under dog" in this game but, hey, they were NFC favorites all year. There's so much parity in the NFC it seems like any one of 4-5 teams could have been in the big dance. Seattle played a soft schedule, in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, but they did play strong in the playoffs (particulary against a surging, physical Carolina team).
Everyone played poorly.
- Seattle dominated the first half; how they were down 7-3 at halftime I have no idea. They could move the rock, they just couldn't seal the deal.
- Pittsburgh's offense looked sluggish the entire game. Take away the 75 yard Parker run and the "gadget" pass to Ward and they really did next to nothing.
- Brown's missed FGs. They were long...but you've got to convert one of those.
Strange/Questionable Calls.
- Darrall Jackson's Pass Interference. By strict literal interpretation of the rule I guess it was PI but both Jackson and the defender were scrambling in the endzone and there was a lot of coincidental contact just as the ball left Hasselbeck's hands. 9 out of 10 times that's a no call on the field...just so happened Jackson was in the endzone and close to a referee. It looked a little late too -- almost like the flag didn't fly until the defender looked at the ref with his arms in the air.
- Roethlisberger's TD. Its good the call on the field stood, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it, but I'm still not convinced it was the right call to begin with.
- Sean Locklear's holding. Looked questionable to me -- let 'em play. The single biggest game-changing play. You go from 1st and Goal from the 1 to zilch.
- Hasselbeck's block below the knees. I understand this rule for lineman, down the field offensive blocking, etc but Hasselbeck was trying to make a defensive play. Just seemed strange to me.
No Real Drama.
- No massive "under dog" story like the Pats and 6th round draft pick Brady.
- No history between the teams like Gruden vs Raiders a few years ago.
- No last second heroics like Delhommes inspired play only to be grounded by Brady and Viniteiri.
- It was over too early. With 7 minutes left in this game there was just that feeling the "P" was already being etched on the Lombardi. No chances for the likes of Delhomme or McNabb to mount a comeback against the closest thing to a modernday dynasty.
Halftime.
- I like the Stones, but they sounded like crap last night. The mix was poor and the guitars sounded muddy.
It all just seemed so uneventful to me....just another Sunday night game IMO.