Thisclose

Well the Cardinals were just thisclose to getting their first Super Bowl win last night. I was disappointed that they lost, not so much because I'm a Cardinals fan--I like them enough to cheer for them when they are playing most anyone other than the Cowboys--but because it meant that the Steelers were the first team in the Super Bowl era to win six of them. I don't mind that they have six, I just didn't want them to be first (I'm a Cowboys fan you might recall).

We had our youth Super Bowl party last night, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it a great deal. It was small no doubt, but it was some of the most fun I have had doing one. There were only six of us there, but it was all guys and we were all actually watching the game (something different). Also we were all actually cheering for the Cardinals to pull it off. It was a good chance to get to hang out with some of the guys who make up our core here in a fun atmosphere.

Some of my thoughts on the game:

• How do you manage to get three--THREE!!!--personal foul penalties called on your defense...ALL ON THE SAME DRIVE???? That really hurt, and a couple of them were iffy calls I thought.
• When you have a three point lead as the underdog with less than three minutes to go and you have been getting pressure with the blitz and it's been working, you don't stop doing it.
• It helps to actually cover the receivers in the back corners of the end zone.
• I'm a little surprised that James Harrison didn't need a cart to get him off the field for half time...you could tell he had nothing left after the INT return. I guess he forgot to take his 5 Hour Energy shot.
• James Harrison should have been ejected for the cheap shot he delievered to the Cardinal player that was down on the ground.
• The celebration after the Holmes TD was pretty good--the LeBron chalk throw--but it was pointed out that there should have been a flag on that--15 yards that would have been assessed on the kick off--for using the ball as a prop. Hey they called all year, why not in the biggest game of the season?
• The last fumble of the game should have been reviewed. Regardless of if they confirmed that the call on the field was right, it was a close play and had a hand in determining the out caome of the game so it should have gotten a look from upstairs.
• Larry Fitzgerald is a beast.
• The commercials weren't really all that great to cost at least $3 million.
  
• The three best (in my opinion) were the first Doritos commercial, the career builder list, and the Coke Zero take off of the classic Mean Joe Greene.
• Thanks to Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's "mishap" a few years ago, the people in charge of planning the half time shows have decided that the way to go is to try to revive the "old school" music scene. In the years following we have had Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen...just saying, these aren't exactly young and spry performers.

Over all I was pleased with the game. It was a good, competative game that was fun to watch, especially with other people. Here's we continue to get good games like this for years to come. Peace and Love y'all.