Tag: Super Bowl

More people watched the Super Bowl than watched the final episode of M*A*S*H

Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts drew an astonishing 106.5 million viewers, breaking the 27-year-old record held by the final episode of M*A*S*H which only had 105.9 million viewers.

Who knew America was so interested in a Super Bowl between two relativity small-market teams?

I think there were a lot of factors that went into making this game so appealing to TV viewers. It was between the two best teams in the NFL. Both teams deserved to be in the Big Game. Both teams had high-scoring offenses that relied on throwing the ball to score points. Teams that rely on running the ball and controlling the clock may rely on an offensive scheme that has proved to be historically effective at winning Super Bowls, but it makes for really boring TV.

I also cannot help but wonder if the weather played a part in making this Super Bowl to watchable. Much of the East Coast and the Mid-Atlantic was covered with at least two feet of snow over the weekend. A good many schools and businesses were going to be closed on Monday because of the weather. When people don’t have to get up early Monday, they are able to stay up late Sunday night.

I don’t think anyone will be able to pin-point why exactly so many people watched the Super Bowl.

by Rick on February 9, 2010
filed in Football
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The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl Roman numeral something something something champions

Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees celebrates with his wife and son.

Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees celebrates with his wife and son.

The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts last night 31-17. It was one of the best Super Bowls that I’ve ever watched. It was also the first one that I can remember watching from beginning to end in a very long time.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees had a fantastic game, throwing 32-39 for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. Also importantly, he had no picks. He went on to earn Super Bowl MVP for his performance.

The game looked to be going in the Colts’ favor until the opening play of the second half. The Saints began the 3rd quarter by kicking an onside kick that went off the hands of reality TV personality and Colts receiver Hank Baskett.

One of the most remarkable things about last night’s game was CBS analyst and former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms. How does this man have a job? I lost count of just how many times he said something that was completely wrong. My favorite was when the Colts were driving and Simms said that the Saints should not blitz, but instead drop an extra defensive back into pass coverage. The ball was snapped and the Saints did the complete opposite of what Sims said. They blitzed. Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning promptly threw the ball into the waiting arms of Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter who ran the ball back 74 yards for a quick six.

Phil Simms could not have been more wrong.

All in all, it was a great Super Bowl. The only way it could have been better was if Phil Simms stayed home.

by Rick on February 8, 2010
filed in Football
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Is Pam Tebow making something up?

Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman Trophy winning Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, is getting a lot of attention over a story she has been telling anti-choice, anti-abortion groups.

The way the story goes is that when she was in the Philippines working as a missionary with her husband Bob Tebow, she became pregnant.   This posed a problem because she says she was taking some rather hard-core medicine to treat amoebic dysentery.  She says that her Filipino doctor warned her that because of the medicine she was taking, there was a substantial risk that the baby would have some serious birth defects.

Her Filipino doctor supposedly recommended that she get an abortion.

Pam Tebow goes on to tell the story that she and her husband could not do that.  Instead of getting an abortion, they chose to continue the pregnancy.  They prayed that they would have a healthy baby and God rewarded them with not only a healthy baby, but a future Heisman Trophy winner.

During the Super Bowl, CBS will be airing a 30-second anti-abortion commercial featuring Pam  and Tim Tebow.  The $2.5 million ad is being paid for by the anti-choice, anti-gay group Focus on the Family.

What if the story isn’t true?

Having lived in the Philippines from 1985 to 1988, I happen to know that abortions are extremely illegal in the Philippines.  Tim Tebow was born in Manila in 1987.  I can’t imagine a Filipino doctor ever telling a white, Christian evangelical missionary that she ought to abort her baby.

I find this story very hard to believe.

11 Comments by Rick on January 31, 2010
filed in News
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The Steelers beat a 9-7 team in the Super Bowl so they are now World Champains

steelers-celebrationI was one of the four Americans that didn’t watch the Super Bowl Sunday night. I just couldn’t get enthused about a Super Bowl involving the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Neither team was one of the two best teams in the NFL.

One could maybe argue that the Steelers were one of the best, but no such argument could be made about the 9-7 Cardinals. They truly had no business being in the Super Bowl. And to think they actually almost won.

I didn’t want to watch the game because I just don’t like the Steelers. I’ve never liked them. I don’t care too much for their fans either. Growing up in California during the Terry Bradshaw era, every bandwagon kid I knew was a Steelers fan. Those that weren’t Steelers fans were usually Cowboy fans.

Living here in Maryland, I’m surrounded by Steelers fans. It’s as though they never realized that Maryland has two professional football teams and the Steelers aren’t one of them.

I knew that if I watched the Super Bowl, I’d see a game where the Steelers not only would win, but would get at least one “controversial” call by the officials that helped them greatly. How surprising that I turned out to be right on both accounts.

by Rick on February 3, 2009
filed in Sports
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The only football game I’m looking forward to watching today

Most of my fellow Americans are looking forward to watching the Arizona Cardinals (9-7) face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) in tonight’s Super Bowl.  Though I may (or may not) watch the Big Game™ between these two teams,  I could honestly care less who wins.  Neither team was the best team this past season.  That distinction belongs to the Tennessee Titans (13-3).

Six other teams in the NFC had either better or equal records compared to the the Cardinals. Three teams in the AFC had records either better or equal when compared to the Steelers.

I’ve never put much stock into the Super Bowl. Only occasionally does the winner of the Super Bowl represent the best football team that year. The purpose of the Super Bowl is not to separate the very best from the best football teams in the league, it’s to separate as much money from TV networks, advertisers, gamblers, and attendees as possible.

It’s all about the money.

The football game I’m looking forward to watching today doesn’t involve the NFL.   It involves two teams that play real football, Lazio and AC Milan of the Italian football league. Normally we only watch the English Premier League, but now that David Beckham is finally playing (and scoring) for AC Milan, it will be an interesting game to watch.

by Rick on February 1, 2009
filed in Sports
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