Who is the worst Super Bowl MVP?

Add Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes to the list of the Super Bowl MVP’s.   Lots of big names and Hall of Famers in the bunch, but there are also quite a few one-hit wonders on the list.  (more…)

I pulled this list of the most exciting Super Bowls from an old editorial written after Super Bowl XXXVIII.  I’ve added my own for the couple of games since that article:

Super Bowl V, 1970, Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 — This close (biggest lead was seven), hard-fought game was decided by a FG with 0:05 left. But it also had 11 turnovers and 14 penalties.

Super Bowl XIII, 1978, Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 — Cowboys comeback to get close. Late TD, onside kick recovery, another TD, onside kick failed.

Super Bowl XXIII, 1988, San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 — Seven ties and lead changes, last at 0:34. Superb 49ers’ TD drive answers late Bengals FG.

Super Bowl XXV, 1990, N.Y. Giants 20, Buffalo 19 — 47 yards, wide right.

Super Bowl XXXII, 1997, Denver 31, Green Bay 24 — Six ties and lead changes, last at 1:45.

Super Bowl XXXIV, 1999, St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee 16 — Comeback, late scores by both teams, one yard from OT.

Super Bowl XXXVI, 2001, New England 20, St Louis Rams 17 — Walk-off 48-yarder.

Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2003, New England 32, Carolina 29 — A schizophrenic game, a wild fourth quarter, a classic ending.

Super Bowl XXXIX, 2005, New England 24, Philadelphia 21– A late comeback and a vomiting Donovan McNabb

Super Bowl XLII, 2008, New York Giants 17, New England 14– The Eli Manning scramble and the David Tyree catch alone made this game an instant classic.  The Giants pulling the upset to keep the Patriots from becoming the first team to go 19-0 cemented it in history.

Here’s why I contend that Super Bowl XLIII had all the elements to make it the greatest ever:

Great Plays

• James Harrison’s 100-yard INT return for a TD to end the first half was the longest play in Super Bowl history.  What a return!
• Both of Larry Fitzgerald’s touchdowns were amazing plays, especially the 64 yarder to the late lead!
• Kurt Warner’s 377 yards and 3 TD’s had to be the most by a QB in a losing effort.  Not to mention that 224 If he wasn’t in before this game, I say he’s in the Hall of Fame with that performance.  By the way, when did Brenda Warner get hot-ish?
• Santonio Holmes’ game winning touchdown may have been the best touchdown reception in a Super Bowl.

Drama

• The Steelers jump out to a 13-point lead.  The Cardinals appear to have recorded the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history with a HUGE 4th quarter, capped off by a Larry Fitzgerald 64 yard TD with 2:37 left.
• Big Ben leads the Steelers down the field for a 78 yard game-winning TD drive and Santonio Holmes cements himself in Pittsburgh history with that great catch.  Do you think he’ll after have to pick up a tab in Steel-town again?
• Even with that amazing Steelers drive, the Cards still had one last gasp as Kurt Warner got the Cards within Hail Mary distance, but couldn’t quite finish it off.

Controversy

• Was Big Ben’s knee down on the first Steelers score?
• Did James Harrison get in for that TD?  It was really close.
• Was that last Warner fumble really a fumble?  Looked to me like his hand was going forward with the ball.  It would have been nice for the booth to at least review that play.

History

• James Harrison’s TD was the longest play in Super Bowl history.
• The Steelers captured their 6th Super Bowl Championship, most of any team.
• Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin became the youngest to coach and win the Super Bowl.

If you don’t think Super Bowl XLIII was the greatest Super Bowl, which one was?

I (1967)- Kansas City Chiefs
II (1968)- Oakland Raiders
III (1969)- Baltimore Colts
IV (1970)- Minnesota Vikings
V (1971)- Dallas Cowboys
VI (1972)- Miami Dolphins
VII (1973)- Washington Redskins
VIII (1974)- Minnesota Vikings
IX (1975)- Minnesota Vikings
X (1976)- Dallas Cowboys
XI (1977)- Minnesota Vikings
XII (1978)- Denver Broncos
XIII (1979)- Dallas Cowboys
XIV (1980)- Los Angeles Rams
XV (1981)- Philadelphia Eagles
XVI (1982)- Cincinnati Bengals
XVII (1983)- Miami Dolphins
XVIII (1984)- Washington Redskins
XIX (1985)- Miami Dolphins
XX (1986)- New England Patriots
XXI (1987)- Denver Broncos
XXII (1988)- Denver Broncos
XXIII (1989)- Cincinnati Bengals
XXIV (1990)- Denver Broncos
XXV (1991)- Buffalo Bills
XXVI (1992)- Buffalo Bills
XXVII (1993)- Buffalo Bills
XXVIII (1994)- Buffalo Bills
XXIX (1995)- San Diego Chargers
XXX (1996)- Pittsburgh Steelers
XXXI (1997)- New England Patriots
XXXII (1998)- Green Bay Packers
XXXIII (1999)- Atlanta Falcons
XXXIV (2000)- Tennessee Titans
XXXV (2001)- New York Giants
XXXVI (2002)- St. Louis Rams
XXXVII (2003)- Oakland Raiders
XXXVIII (2004)- Carolina Panthers
XXXIX (2005)- Philadelphia Eagles
XL (2006)- Seattle Seahawks
XLI (2007)- Chicago Bears
XLII (2008)- New England Patriots
XLIII (2009) – Arizona Cardinals

Keep your heads up Cardinal fans.  This too shall pass.  I know firsthand the pain you feel right now.  (see XLI 2007 – Chicago Bears).  In a couple of years, you’ll hardly remember how bad this loss stings.   Training camp will be here before you know it.

BEAR DOWN!!!

Day vs Night.  Black (and gold) vs White (and red).  Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader.  Offense vs Defense.   You might say that this game features contrasting styles.  The Steelers come in as the top defense from the regular season while the Cardinals come in with the second ranked passing offense and a Top 5 offense overall.  Arizona’s key to success in this improbable playoff run has been their defense. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has been doing what they do best: playing great defense.  It’s time to stop with all of the hype and parties and get down to the business of crowning a champion for the 2008-2009 NFL season.

Many believe that a win by the Cardinals will put a stamp on Kurt Warner’s ticket to the Hall of Fame.   This is his third go-around on football’s biggest stage, having won one and lost one.  Meanwhile Ben Roethlisberger has a ring of his own, but many critics say he need to redeem himself after a lackluster performance in the Steelers’ win in Super Bowl XL over the Seahawks.

Breakdown

Larry Fitzgerald has become the darling of these 2009 playoffs.  How can you argue with 419 yards and 5 TD’s?  Compare that to 665 yards and 3 TD’s by Chicago Bears #1 receiver Devin Hester.  Oh, did I forget to mention those stats were compiled over 15 games for the Windy City Flyer while Fitz has piled up those bawdy stats in 3 playoffs games?  Who says the Bears need a difference maker at the receiver position?  The Cardinal defense has been the surprise of the playoffs, forcing 12 turnovers and upsetting the likes of the Falcons, Panthers and  Eagles en route to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.

The Steelers come in a bit banged up, with receiver Hines Ward nursing a knee and recent reports that Big Ben might have gotten a bit more banged up in the AFC Championship than we’ve been led to believe.  But this isn’t about the Steelers’ offense as much as it is about their defense.  Look for the Steelers to pressure Warner from all angles and shut down the resurrected Cardinal running attack.  Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison leads the attacking Steeler defense.

Key matchup

Arizona Passing Attack vs Pittsburgh Pass D.  Call it Hairbangers Ball, as safety Troy Polamalu brings his flowing locks to try to help cover the dreadlocked receiving stud Larry Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald has already set a playoff record for receiving yardage, breaking Jerry Rice’s postseason yardage record with a game left to play.   I don’t doubt that the Steelers will keep the resurgent Edgerrin James in check, but if they expect to win, they’ll need to do something that no one has figured out in this postseason and that’s slow down Fitgerald and company.

Sleeper

Willie Parker has been banged up for much of the season and missed a few games, but that just means he’s fresh for Big Game.   He was the game-breaker in 2006, tearing off a Super Bowl record 75 yard touchdown run against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL to seal the victory for the Steelers.  If Fast Willie can take some pressure off Big Ben and keep the Cardinal D off balance, it will be a long day for Arizona fans.

Prediction

Arizona has reinvented itself with a running game and tough defense  while Pittsburgh has followed their usual blueprint.  In a game of this magnitude, I like the team that stays true to itself.  This game is my postseason tie-breaker, so this had better be good:

Steelers 27-21

It doesn’t look like the economic downturn with affect the ladies of Mons Venus, 2001 Odyssey or any of the 41 other Tampa clubs.

“Tampa has a reputation for having the most strip clubs and the most girls who are a lot of fun,” says a 25-year-old exotic dancer named Claudia, who left her usual gig in Las Vegas to work the Super Bowl week here. (She asked that her last name not be used to save her family any embarrassment.)

Claudia says she’s worked four previous Super Bowls and expects to make as much as $2,000 a day performing at 2001 Odyssey. Most clubs treat the dancers as independent contractors who pay a flat fee to the house and keep the rest.

“It’s so crazy, everybody is in a such a party mood,” she says. “It’s a whole new level of everything.”

The clubs have been busy auditioning more dancers and upgrading their interiors. Some will stay open 24 hours.

It’s too bad the Dallas Cowboys and strip club aficionado Pacman Jones didn’t make it to Super Bowl!

BARE DOWN!!!

In case you’re not well versed in “squares” or want to learn how to set up your own pool, check out this site.  You’ll select a square from a 10 x 10 grid.   After the teams and numbers have been assigned, you have your rooting interest. The last number of the score for each team represents a number on the grid.  If you have Pittsburgh 4 and Arizona 7, and the score is 14-17 in favor of the Cardinals, you would win.   Most pools pay out each quarter, but there are many different payout possibilities, including reverse, touching squares, etc.,  so be sure to check with the pool operator for complete rules.

I found this grid that shows your odds of winning based on actual Super Bowl results.   The number inside the grid represents the number of times that square has hit during one of the previous 41 Super Bowls.  (Full disclosure – this was taken prior to the 2008 Patriots – Giants game, so it is not 100% complete, but should give  a pretty good sense of your chances.) The *’s in some boxes represent the number of times this square was a final score, when pools often have higher payouts.

So if you get a 0 or a 7, there’s a much higher probability of winning, especially compared to getting a 5 or 8.  In case anyone from the IRS is reading this, I NEVER win these things.  Have fun and play responsibly!

What else do the Cardinals and  Pittsburgh Steelers have in common?  Both have posted winless seasons, but for both of them, it was an 0-10 season 64 years ago when the teams were merged into one due to a manpower shortage during WWII.  When the teams lock horns a week from Sunday, it will be in stark contrast to the 1944 season.  Neil Milbert had this posted on Tribune’s website.

In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock, let me see if I can summarize.  The surprising Arizona Cardinals were playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game.  The Cardinals blew an 18 point first half advantage as the Eagles took a 4thquarter lead.  With the Cardinals trailing, OC Todd Haley took Anquan Boldin out of the game.  It is important to note that ‘Quan had pulled a hamstring two weeks before and was not operating at full strength.

As the Cardinal offense was on the move, Boldin decided it was a good time to blow up at his coordinator who was calling the plays on this crucial drive.  The Cardinals scored the winning touchdown and held on to secure their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.  While his teammates celebrated on the field with the fans, Boldin bolted early to avoid the media.   Did I miss anything?

This quote from Boldin taken from a National Post article:

“I was mad because they took me out of the game, and I think any competitor would have had the same reaction.  A game of that magnitude, how close the game was, us potentially driving to score a touchdown, I want to be there. That’s just the type of guy I am.”

This from azcentral.com:

“For me, it’s hilarious.  I mean, I don’t want to sit here and dwell on it because it’s in the past, but that’s something that goes on every week in the NFL, whether people know it or not.”

Glad you think it’s so funny Anquan.  It may go on every week, but last Sunday was not every week; it was the NFC Championship Game.  And your team won.  That’s right, somehow they pulled it off with you on the sidelines.  In fact, they pulled it off while you were yelling at offensive coordinator Todd Haley while he was calling plays for the game-winning drive.

I guess the wide receiver fraternity (ΑΣΣ) was holding their initiation last weekend and you couldn’t pass on the opportunity to join the ranks of TO, Plaxico Burress, Chad Ocho-Cinco and the rest of the Prima Donna’s in making a complete ASS of yourself.

You’ve been clear about your feelings for the Cardinals since training camp.  But as your teammates celebrated the unlikely victory, you pouted and hustled out of the stadium.   Every kid that ever slapped on the pads from Pop Warner on up dreams of making it to the Super Bowl yet somehow, you thought it was more important for you to get your catches than for your team to win the game.  Somehow you thought it was about you and not the team.  Selfish much?  Your behavior was comparable to a Pop Warner 8 year old who got sent to bed without dessert. 

I had taken the position that the Bears work to get Boldin in the offseason, but perhaps I was mistaken.  Ex-Chicago Bear great Doug Buffone, frequent contributor and personality on The Score 670AM  , talks about the neanderthal gene being what made linebackers like himself and Dick Butkus great.  Is there a jackass gene that all talented wide receiver have?  Anquan, this wasn’t about you, it was about your team.  Hopefully you figure that out on the way to the Super Bowl.

BOOM!!!