BY JOHN McALEAVEY | I must say, the Super Bowl did not in any way shape or form, live up to its name. In fact, I think this year’s match-up should have been called the Less Than Super Bowl.
There is no doubt the game was a defensive struggle, but that in itself did not mean it had to a bore. There was a lack of any real big plays on offense and a myriad of penalties that ground the game to a complete halt every time it tried to pick up steam. It seemed that at the end of each play, head referee, Clete Blakeman, would pop up on the screen to penalize somebody for something! I swear, between the food coma I had begun to experience, and the snail’s pace of the game, I almost fell asleep on the couch at my cousin’s Super Bowl party…midway through the first quarter!
So, because I was out of my house for the game and could not really hear the announcers, I only have a few burning observations from Super Bowl 50:
- That Von Miller guy is pretty good! I kid of course, the heat seeking missile was in the Carolina backfield more than Jonathan Stewart for much of the game. All I could think of as the game unfolded, aside from just how disruptive he was, was how nice he would look in a New York Football Giants uniform next season! Big Blue has some big Green to dole out this off season, and Jerry Reese’s first phone call should go to Miller’s agent.
- Cam Newton had a rough night on and off the field. Having flown to the big game’s festivities in $900 zebra print Versace pants, the MVP QB was fixing to make the game his national showcase. Well, much like Wade Phillips’s Denver defense shut down Big Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady, Cam didn’t have time to Dab, let alone breath. He had Miller and DeMarcus Ware draped all over him for most of the night, making it impossible to excel. My two biggest criticisms of Newton would be, his complete lack of interest in recovering a late game fumble (Carolina was still down by just six points at the time), and his behavior at the post game press conference. The explanation, I mean excuse that he gave for why he did not attack the free football (that his leg would have been contorted on the ground) was laughable, and Cam’s cameo (two and a half minute appearance) following the game shows the young man still has a lot of growing up to do. I have two words for Cam on how he should comport himself in a situation like that next time – Russell Wilson!
- Like everyone, I was happy that Peyton Manning won another ring, even though he did not exactly contribute to the victory. For someone who made a career of carrying his team’s defenses along with him to many victories, Peyton got one back here. He has literally lost his fastball, and the interception he threw to Kony Ealy (who was the second best player on the field to Miller), was simply not Peyton-esque judgement. Was it his last game? As someone living with a cervical spinal cord injury, I hope he does not risk life and limb under center ever again. On the downside, his Papa John hug was beyond lame!
And that is My 2 Sense for this week. I would like to wish my mother a happy birthday, I love you mom!
Photo: www.nfl.com
