Awful, just plain awful. Between the two teams, we witnessed twenty-one punts, a third down efficiency of 16.67 percent (5 for 30), 396 yards of offense, and a paltry twenty-four first downs. People expected Super Bowl XXXV to be a slow, field position game but not like this. We also expected it to be a low-scoring, smash-mouth game with a margin of victory no more than a few points.
The final, official Vegas line had the Ravens a 3-point favorite. However, what we got was truly one of the most anti-climactic and boring sporting events ever. (And, on a side note, what a down year for the commercials as well. This writer's favorite was the yuppie Budweiser "What's Up?" commercial. Other than that, not too many were very entertaining.)
Every year, millions of Americans and people around the world gather in groups and attend parties to watch the Super Bowl. It is annually one of the highest rated, if not the highest, programs in television. But does this mean that the Super Bowl is the most entertaining sporting event? Granted, we have been blessed recently with two great games: one, the near upset of the Rams by the Titans last year; the other, Super Bowl XXXII in which John Elway and the Broncos came from behind to defeat the Green Bay Packers. However, given this year's game and many in the past (think recently of Super Bowl XXXIII when the Broncos beat the Falcons 34-19 or Super Bowls XXXI, XXIX, XXVIII and XXVII which were very one-sided as well), the answer is no.
The Super Bowl has become more of a spectacle, a chance for corporations to advertise to huge audiences and for musicians to play at the halftime show to a concert audience of millions. So, the question then becomes, what is the most exciting sporting event, annual or otherwise?
It's easy to agree that what makes sports exciting for the fans and spectators is the drama. By drama, I mean whether the event "goes the distance" to a full, seven game series or whether it features the classic David and Goliath matchup. People like seeing the tension that goes along with come from behind victories or huge upsets by underdogs. These are the criteria for excitement.
Being an American, I'll start with the basic American professional leagues.
The NBA Finals? No way. Think about it. Last year, did the Pacers have a chance against the Lakers? The year before, the Spurs throttled the Knicks. Before that, Michael Jordan's Bulls won three straight without a single series going to a decisive Game Seven. You have to go back as far as the 1994 NBA Finals in which Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets defeated Patrick Ewing's Knicks to find a competitive series.
Now that basketball is off the list, let's try baseball. The World Series? Are you kidding me? It now belongs to the teams that buy a significant quantity of the best players (read, New York Yankees). A 'Game Seven' hasn't happened since 1997 and in the last twelve years, the Fall Classic has only gone the distance twice.
The problem with the NBA Finals, the World Series, and even the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals is that they are championship series. More often that not, the favorite will prevail. When this happens, it is not as exciting as it could be.
So, we are left with the Olympics, the World Cup, and the winner. With regard to the Olympics, it's gone. It might just be me, but as I have grown older, the Olympics seem less and less special. Some sports now allow professional athletes onto their teams, which seems to dilute the overall excitement of the games. Much less frequently, it seems, do we witness unknown competitors appearing from almost any country to capture our hearts with their amazing victories.
What about the World Cup? It's loved all throughout the world, but Americans just haven't embraced it yet. Plus, rarely do we see underdogs make it past the first round. Almost every four years, it seems the same powerhouse countries (Brazil, Italy, France, England, Germany, and Spain) are vying for the Cup. What does this leave? Well, it leaves an event that is not professional. It is played at the collegiate level. It is, in the words of ESPN immortal, Dick Vitale, "March Madness, baby!"
Nothing is quite like the NCAA basketball tournament. It is truly an event that shows the power of team. The most talented and highest rated teams almost never win, and in the process there is great drama, as it seems that every year, a Cinderella or a David rises and a Goliath falls. Teams like Gonzaga, which produced John Stockton years ago but not much NBA talent since then, come out of nowhere to knock off the big schools that send top players year in and year out to the pros. The tournament is truly "March Madness."
Now, while many (including myself) continue to watch all these other events and enjoy the drama they produce, none is quite like the NCAA basketball tournament. If you think I'm wrong, next time you're walking past an airport bar in March with a tournament game on, you'll see what I'm talking about.
