Monday, February 8, 2016

Super (?) Bowl 50

My reaction -- meh

I actually turned this game off in the third quarter. I'm very glad I didn't spend all day watching all the build-up to the game because it was dreadfully un-exciting. I don't mind defensive games, but offensive incompetence just doesn't do it for me.

After all the hype, Cam Newton looked totally unprepared for the moment. Every pass left his hands at 100 mph, he missed receivers all over the field. The few that managed to get open, that is. Thank goodness for Ted Ginn Jr. otherwise Carolina might never have scored in that game.

But about Newton, he looked like a total rookie out there. The ball stripping on the goal line -- he just stood there looking confused while the lineman casually plucked the ball out of his hands. This is the quarterback we're all supposed to be afraid of? His words, not mine. And why did he look completely exhausted by the end of the first quarter? You could see it on his face. Even the sideline reporter asked about whether Newton had received treatment or IV's during halftime. Something was definitely not right there.

As to Peyton Manning, I should congratulate him on the win, he can now retire on top with a nice comeback story to cement his legacy in the NFL. He looked remarkably good, considering just a few weeks ago he was shot putting the ball all over the field and looked like a twenty yard pass was too much for him. There are rumors of hgh use floating around him, and I was amused by various sports reporters trying to minimize such usage. Let's be clear here -- hgh is a steroid, it's illegal to use without a doctor and it's a banned substance in sports, that's why old guys like you and I can't get this stuff to help stave off the ravages of aging.

But whatever, Manning was the better qb in the game and Carolina lost to Denver 24-10 in what to me was a robustly uninteresting game.

The halftime show was a mess in my humble opinion. Not so much the performances but the god-awful sound mixing. I don't know about you, but I couldn't hear a word coming out of Chris Martin, Beyoncé or Bruno Mars' microphones. And I've got a pretty top notch sound system at home. Always fun to watch Mars perform, and am I wrong or did Beyoncé almost fall down at one point? But like the game, the halftime show was a bit meh also primarily because of the muddy sound.

Didn't see a lot of great commercials either. The Doritos one was typically boundary pushing for them. I don't know, but the fact I'm sitting here the morning after struggling to remember any of them kind of says it for me.

If you were into it all, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. But for me, I'm glad that I didn't make the effort to make a day of it. Just kind of disappointed.

5 comments:

Tuerqas said...

I did like the baby in the ultrasound, was that the boundary pusher? I am a WI man, and I saw the same thing happen to Rogers when our line got all banged up and then he got banged up. He rushed throws, he missed 'em tight and when they were wide open. Very un-Rogers like. Denver rattled Newton's cage big time and he could not get over it. That said, to make a QB comparison...Denver got the ball first and ten around the 12 after the punt return, they got it first and goal at the 5 and would have taken a field goal if the refs did not call a questionable holding call, it took 6 downs to get it in. After the first field goal drive, Manning had less than nothing. Without the 14 points from the defense (plus 3 more from special teams) Denver still loses 10-9. Just sayin', it was a defensive game and neither QB showed anything...ANYTHING! Oh, and I love defensive games. It was only the second superbowl with out an NFC North team in it that I have watched all the way through:).

postaldog said...

You paid much closer attention to the game than I did my friend :-)

As you say, neither qb really did much in the game. Peyton had a better completion % but less yards and both had a pick.

I think my favorite defensive game was back in '78 when the Bucs played the Rams in the snow for a 3-0 win that put them into the playoffs for the first time. I remember after the game, John McKay said they could have played another 4 quarters and there was no way the Rams were going to get into the end zone. Amazing game.

postaldog said...

And yes, I was speaking about the birthing room Doritos commercial. Not boundary pushing in a bad way, simply right on the edge of Oh my god, I can't believe they did that!

Interestingly, I see online that groups like NARAL are pushing back hard against that commercial for the crime of humanizing a fetus. Unbelievable!

Tuerqas said...

GASP! Humanizing a human fetus? Horrifying!!!

postaldog said...

I know, right?

Also, I read where the lbgt crowd was saying the Snickers commercial with Willem Defoe as Marilyn Monroe was transphobic because apparently you can't have a man in a skirt and not have him triple-z snap Ru Paul fabulous.

These folks are just totally out of control.