It's official: the Pittsburgh Steelers are the Super Bowl champions once again. I, for one, was quietly happy to see it happen. I like the state of Pennsylvania -- it has a few redeeming qualities, and Steelers fans definitely live and die by their team more than fans of most every team, especially those of the Arizona Cardinals. I had predicted in a "Toe-to-Toe" column early in the season that the Giants would repeat, and of course I would have loved to see the Indianapolis Colts win it all, but the Steelers were probably my third choice to take the game. So congrats to Steelers fans.
I learned several valuable lessons while watching this year's Super Bowl, and I'll detail them here for the benefit (or boredom) of all my readers.
First, and perhaps most importantly, the drop-off between Erin Andrews and other female sideline reporters was drastic. Alex Flanagan, one of the two sideline reporters for NBC's coverage of the Super Bowl, was just awful. Not only is Erin Andrews smoking hot, she at least acts like she's having fun at the games she attends. Alex Flanagan, in contrast, looked and sounded like she was at a funeral, rarely raising her voice above a loud whisper and never smiling. Don't tell me NBC can't do better.
Secondly, Super Bowl commercials are really struggling, but one related point is clear: punching small, talking animals is hilarious. Also, the much-publicized one-second advertisement by Miller High Life was brilliant. It showed viewers that the beer company recognizes that paying $2.5 million for a 30-second time slot is ridiculous during the economic crisis, and the company still got noticed. However, once again, there were no Terry Tates in this year's batch of Super Bowl commercials. Quite regrettable.
Third, Kurt Warner is Hall of Fame bound. If anyone doubted that before Super Bowl XLIII, the debate is now essentially over. Larry Fitzgerald is a phenomenal receiver, granted, but Kurt Warner would have been the MVP of the Super Bowl had Arizona held onto the lead in the last two minutes. Warner can flat out play. He made a costly mistake at the end of the first half, but he made up for it with a vengeance in the fourth quarter, storming the Cardinals to their first lead with just minutes to play. He did everything he could to will his team to victory, but the Cardinal defense simply could not stop Santonio Holmes in the final drive.
Fourth, defense may be overrated. Both the defenses played well, but the offenses still carried the day. Warner completely tore apart what was arguably one of the best defenses in NFL history, throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Defense had carried the Steelers to the Super Bowl, but the normally anemic Steeler offense stole the show down the stretch, storming down the field in the final two minutes to win on a touchdown pass to Holmes. Offense is what made this Super Bowl special. Offense is what won.
Fifth, James Harrison had one roller coaster of a game. At one point, he was the best player on the field and respected for it by most (except die-hard Cardinal fans, probably). After Harrison, a defensive lineman, pulled off the longest offensive play in Super Bowl history with an interception at the goal line and a 100-yard return for a touchdown, he looked like the game's MVP. He was indeed the hero of the first half, but, at one point in the second half, he should have been ejected. After a play, Harrison was caught pushing a Cardinal player to the ground (legal), keeping him down (legal), hitting him in the back (illegal), then proceeding to push and shove the player long after the play was over (illegal). The dirty play prompted John Madden to say that Harrison should be ejected, and I have to agree with John. I viewed Harrison differently for the rest of the game, and I will without a doubt remember the incident into next season.
All-in-all, it was an enjoyable game, despite Alex Flanagan, and we can only hope that the trend of memorable Super Bowls continues for years to come.
