01 February 2009

Hits and Misses of the Super Bowl

1st quarter:
  • Hit: Roethlisberger to Ward on the first drive for a 38-yard gain. Big Ben needed to get off to a good start to get rid of the nerves from his bad game (albeit in a win) in SB XL. Ward needed a good play to get that knee going
  • Hit: Bud Light commercial where they throw a guy out the window for trying to get the budget by getting rid of Bud Light in meetings. F-ing hilarious.
  • Miss: 1st Audi car commercial. C'mon, these things are supposed to pique my interest and/or be funny. This did neither.
  • Miss: Steelers not getting a TD on the opening drive. They better hope the defense can make a statement. EDIT: statement made
  • Hit: Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie with a TD-saving pass deflection. If that's made this game would have been headed for a blowout (and be terribly uninteresting)
  • Miss: Pitt using the wildcat formation. If you're gonna stunt, do something that almost no one would be coming....which would never happen with the Steelers being the Steelers
  • Miss: Ads for movies that come out in May. I know Angels and Demons is gonna be a good movie. You don't have to spend $3 million telling me 3 1/2 months ahead of time.

2nd quarter
  • Hit: GoDaddy.com Danica Patrick commercial. I can always count on you for a racy Super Bowl commercial.
  • Miss: cars.com commercial. Wow, way to completely rip off the Dos Equis “The Most Interesting Man in the World” commercial
  • Miss: John Madden calling a Steven Breaston punt return. Will he ever learn to call something that isn’t COMPLETELY obvious?
  • Hit: eTrade baby commercial. I can’t remember if these made their debut in a Super Bowl, but I can’t remember one that wasn’t funny. I’m waiting for the golf one they showed in the pregame
  • Hit/Miss: Larry Fitz making his first catch just before halftime. Hit for the Steelers for limiting him, miss for the Cards because they let that happen
  • Hit: James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a TD. THIS is why he got some MVP votes. Definitely makes it obvious who the MVP of the game is so far.
Halftime Show
  • I wasn't really impressed. Nothing that really hasn't been done before. Glow sticks for the crowd, semi-elaborate fireworks. Maybe it's because I'm not the biggest Springsteen fan, but I wasn't really into the "story-telling." It just seemed like he was stroking his own ego. You can tell that at least the music is pre-recorded, but I'm thinking he's actually singing.
  • Hit: Toyota Tundra fire commercial. That's just f-ing awesome. You don't need to say any more.
  • Hit: NBC's LMAO commercial. Great concept for a promo to your Thursday night lineup. Especially at the end where one chick says she's had her butt reattached 6 times and a chick behind her shows 7 fingers.
  • Hit: Miller High Life's one second commercial. Wow, I didn't think they would actually do it, and I hope as much people got it as I think. Best use of $100,000 (based on $3 mil for a 30-second spot) ever.
3rd Quarter
  • Miss: Budweiser Clydesdales commercials. It's probably because it was hard to beat the dalmation "Rocky" commercial from last year, but all of them so far haven't really been impressive. Maybe they're saving the best for last?
  • Miss: Stupid roughing the passer penalty on a third down by the Cards' Dansby. If there was a breaking point after the Harrison INT, this was it.
  • Hit: The Cards' holding Pitt to a FG and keep it a 2-possession game....hold on....make that a Miss: HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT STUPID A PENALTY?! That makes 3 penalties for 35 yards just on this drive.
  • BIG hit: Holding Pitt to a FG again. Wow. If Whisenhunt can't motivate his offense after this, Arizona has zip chance. Although the biggest comeback in a Super Bowl is 10 points and this makes it 20-7.
  • Semi-hit: Finally a decent sack on Big Ben. With the Zona offense finally wake up?
  • Hit: Remake of the '80s Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial with Troy Polamalu and Coke Zero. I'm definitely not a fan of the product, but I'll give credit where it's due.
4th Quarter
  • Hit: Arizona finally opening up their playbook and getting to what they do best: pass. We have ourselves a ball game!
  • Hit: Pepsruber!!!
  • Miss: Holding in the END ZONE?! I guess now it's not how many penalties you have, but where and when you have them. But it might work, because the Cards still need a TD, and the Steelers aren't punting from their end zone.
  • Hit: LARRY FITZ, you are RIDICULOUS!
  • Hit/Miss: Ok, so I have my money on the Steelers -7. If they don't get it I really hope the Cards win
  • Hit: Wow, did we just witness The Catch II?! Santonio Holmes is MVP if they hold on
  • Miss: That's kinda anti-climactic if you ask me. Why wouldn't you review that fumble?

Bob's Official SB XLIII pick

Steelers. I won't drag it out. I LOVE the story of the Cardinals, how Kurt Warner made a comeback all the way to an MVP candidacy and a shot at a Super Bowl with a second team, after toiling in New York for a year. But smart money just says Pittsburgh.

Sure, Arizona's QB and top 2 receiving threats are starters for the Pro Bowl, Pitt's got 2 guys on defense that actually got votes for MVP. That doesn't happen. MVP nowadays is a de facto offensive player of the year. They can pressure Warner rushing just 3 or 4. They also run a 3-4 defense, with a ton of schemes and tricks. They could show blitz, then back off. They have D-ends that are fast enough to drop back in the flat. They runs stunts that create holes for the linebackers.

I thought that if it turns into a shootout, I figured Arizona would win. Ben Roethlisberger wouldn't be able to run an efficient enough offense to keep up with the Warner-Fitzgerald-Boldin combo. But after mulling it over for a few days, I just couldn't see that happening. Pittsburgh will turn this into a smashmouth, hard hitting football game.

Give me one bet, and I'll take the Steelers and give the seven points. But if you give me options, I would go with 2 teasers: Arizona +7 and the Over (47); and Pittsburgh -7 and the Under.

Miscellaneous thoughts a tidbits:
  • Larry Fitz has got some REALLY nice teeth.
  • On the prop bet of the over under of on Jennifer Hudson's National Anthem, gimme the under
  • Bruce Springsteen would not have been my first choice for the half time show
  • Looking forward more to the commercials than the halftime show
  • I will actually be at work during the Super Bowl, but at least they have HDTVs
  • The official pick for the final: Pittsburgh 23, Arizona 13

Followers

 
free-website-hit-counters.com
free hit counter code