Super Bowl XLIII and an update on Eve

I love it when I am right. It does not happen ALL that often (ok, maybe it does), but I really called it when I said I did not want to go to any Super Bowl parties. The Football Gods rewarded me with a game that could be considered one of the best ever. There were SO many twists and turns throughout the game, and it concluded with an AMAZING series of plays that will forever be remembered in the annals of NFL lore.

First Quarter: All Steelers. Roethlisberger led his team on a long offensive drive that consumed much of the first quarter. Although the Steelers ended up with a mere three points, the tone had been set. The Cardinals defense did not appear to be prepared to stop the Steelers, and I thought the Steelers were going to win this going away. The Cardinals had a single three and out during the entire first quarter and were not seen again until the second quarter. I was thinking that the Cardinals would not be able to score with their stars on the sidelines.

Second Quarter: Steelers score a touchdown on another clock eating drive and went up 10-0. I was ready to become disgusted and turn it off. It was then that some magic started happening. In less that 6 minutes, Kurt Warner led his team on an 83 yard TD drive. The Cardinals defense then held and the runback after the ensuing punt was run back into Steelers territory. With plenty of time left before the half, Warner then led his team to the brink of yet another score. On the threshold of going up 14-10 before the half, we, the audience, were treated to the longest play in Super Bowl history. Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, dropped into coverage and intercepted Warner's pass in the end zone. He proceeded (with the help of several illegal, if uncalled by the zebras, blocks by his teammates) to run the ball back 100 yards (!) and score a TD (he was actually tackled before the ball crossed the plane by Larry Fitzgerald-another bad call), the Steelers entered the locker room ahead by 10 points. Now, what I did not see anyone comment on is Fitzgerald's never-say-die attitude on this play. On the play, Fitzgerald had been headed in the opposite direction and was a good 10 yards downfield from Harrison at the time he realized that Warner had been picked. Fitzgerald, deep in his own end zone, turned on the jets and gave chase, weaving his way through Steeler defenders and caught Harrison BEFORE HE CROSSED THE GOAL LINE. A lot of other offensive players would have given up, but Fitzgerald did not. Although he had been a non-factor in the game to that point, he showed his mettle. At half time, it looked like the Cardinals were toast.

Halftime: GO BRUCE

3rd quarter: Only 1 score: Steelers score again-3 points. 8 minute drive. The score was 20-7, a 13 point deficit. I started paying more attention to the commercials and started feeling bad for Kurt Warner. He should not have ended his career like this....

4th quarter: the best 4th quarter I have watched in a LONG time. Larry Fitzgerald is ALIVE; Warner goes into a no huddle and does not give the Steelers defense time to adjust. He proceeded to pick apart the Steelers' #1 rated defense with pinpoint accurate pass and a jump ball to Fitzgerald in the corner of the end zone. The score is 20-14...hmm...interesting... 2 quick series by the Steelers and the Cardinals, and the Cardinals pin the Steelers on their 2 yard line (pushed back to the 1 yard line thanks to the thuggish actions of James Harrison-he should have been ejected for throwing punches at a guy who was down on the ground-classy). Steelers appear to escape (NO!) but then the refs FINALLY get a call right and call holding on a Steelers lineman in the end zone. Folks, that means SAFETY. The score was now 20-16 (with the Cards still needing a TD for the go ahead score). So following a safety, the opposing team has to free kick the ball to the other side. The Steelers punt to the Cards, and there was NO return. Warner went back to work. Right before one play, Madden pointed out how far back the safeties were playing to take away the deep pass (very conservative on the part of the Steelers). Madden noted that all Warner had to do was use the center of the field and the Cardinals would continue to have success. Sure enough, on the next play, Warner found Fitzgerald, who turned on the jets and outraced the entire Steelers secondary into the endzone. TOUCHDOWN! Cards are ahead!!! End of story, right? Wrong. See, The Cardinals had left too much time on the clock, Warner knew it. He had been in this situation before in Super Bowl XXXVI, when Brady came back and won the game. While his teammates were celebrating, Warner (with good reason) had a sick look on his face. Roethlisberger and wideout Santonio Holmes proceeded to put on a passing clinic, with Big Ben finding Holmes in the back of the end zone with less than 40 seconds left for the go ahead TD-and WHAT A CATCH! Tiptoe, complete control, while being defended by 3 Cardinals. Wow....

This was one for the ages folks. I have serious doubts as to whether the Steelers would have won without the generous calls they received from the zebras, but that is neither here nor there. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and I had the best seat in the house for it. God bless high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1! I even rewound and re-watched certain plays as they happened thanks to the magic of DVR.

Yeah...still no Super Bowl parties for me next year...nope.


On another note, my friend Eve is doing well. She is getting the best treatment at one of the top medical institutions in the world. On a happier note, Wally proposed to her. The sad thing is that Wally proposed in the shadow of Eve's medical hardship. The cool thing is that he had the ring for a while. He had intended to propose well before this, and by timing it just right, she knows exactly what she has to live for. Congrats to both Eve and Wally. I cannot wait for the wedding-it will be a blast!