Super thoughts

OK, OK, so I give. It turned out to be a pretty darned good game. That is, after I spouted off how boring it was. Don't get too excited, my friends, because I think I can make a good argument that it wasn't even one of the top five all time. With that, I have some random thoughts about this game and the Super Bowl, in general ...

TOP FIVE ALL TIME
Sorry. XLIII doesn't make the list. If you were choosing the top five endings of all time, it might just creep in. But I'm talking games. And since the first 50 game-time minutes were anything but exciting (except maybe James Harrison's interception return), it doesn't make the list. Here's my list. Oh, and I don't consider anything before Super Bowl XV or so, because even though I watched most of them, I really don't remember much.

5. Super Bowl XXXIV (Jan. 30, 2000 in Atlanta) -- Rams 23, Titans 16: One last play. Steve McNair is almost impossible to bottle up. It's the moment that all players dream of. Kevin Dyson gets it, cuts inside to the 5, and it looks like paydirt for the Titans. But no, Mike Jones comes from nowhere, gets his arms around Dyson's legs. Dyson stretches out and falls less than 1 yard short. Kind of interesting that maybe the greatest ending in Super Bowl history ends on a defensive play. The rest of the game was phenomenal as well. And although defense was the rule in this one, Kurt Warner had a fabulous game (as he did Sunday in Tampa).

4. Super Bowl XXXVI (Feb. 3, 2002 in the Superdome) -- Patriots 20, Rams 17: This was the game that put ole Belicheat and Tom Brady on the map. The Pats had been my second-favorite team until this season, when I thought the cheater wrongly pulled Drew Bledsoe. When he came back from injury, I think he should have been back in there, but football is a business. Anyway, New England was like a 10-point underdog, and everyone expected The Greatest Show on Turf to roll. Instead, defense -- and Brady -- ruled the day. And you know what they say about defense ...

3. Super Bowl XXV (Jan. 27, 1991 in Tampa, Fla.) -- Giants 20, Bills 19: Poor, poor Buffalo. Poor, poor Scott Norwood. What people don't often mention about that missed field goal is that it was no chip shot. It was like a 47-yarder or something. Give the dude a break. OK, OK, I know he was paid well for just that situation, but it's not like that was a Bill Buckner or something. It was amazing the Bills were even in this one, though, as the Giants held the ball for 40-plus minutes. Had to feel good for Jeff Hostetler in this one. It really was the lone shining moment in his career. Little did the Bills know that it would be their best chance to win a Super Bowl, despite making the next three games.

2. Super Bowl XXIII (Jan. 22, 1989 in Miami) -- 49ers 20, Bengals 16: Joe Montana simply is the best quarterback of my lifetime. Hands down. And if you are too young to remember him in his playing days, then get a tape/DVD of this game, and watch the final drive. I don't care what anyone says about John Elway. If I had two minutes and I was at my own 20 and had to have a touchdown, I'd want Montana. Ask John Taylor what he thinks. P.S. The reason why this one is so high on my list, is I remember being shocked at how well the Cincinnati defense played, especially after Tim Krumrie broke his leg. What a game, what a drive.

1. Super Bowl XLII (Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz.) -- Giants 17, Patriots 14: Eli Manning showed unbelievable poise on that final drive -- the best winning drive in Super Bowl history, and in the top three or four of my lifetime in any game. David Tyree's catch, I think, was the best I have ever seen. More on that later. Lastly, there's just something special about an underdog -- especially big dogs -- doing something hardly anyone gave them a chance to. It was even extra special that Belicheat's shot at immortality -- a 19-0 record -- was ruined in the final 90 seconds of the final game of the season on the grandest stage in all of sports.

TIMES ARE CHANGING
It didn't even dawn on me until after the game and I was watching SportsCenter. Made me think that maybe times really are changing. Of course, it's easy for me to say. It's a little different from my perspective.

What am I babbling about, you ask? Since about midway through his first season, I thought Mike Tomlin was a great coach. Aggressive. Although he's no-nonsense, he seems to be a players' coach. Runs the perfect offensive scheme with the toughest quarterback in football. Lets his defensive coordinator who has been in the game for 50 years do whatever he thinks he needs to do and stays out of his way.

Then, an hour after the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl -- more than any other team -- Stuart Scott told me that Tomlin was only the second black coach to win the big game. I hadn't once even thought about him being black; it never crossed my mind. He was just a coach to me. A great coach.

And when I realized I hadn't realized this significant piece of history, I thought to myself that I hope it doesn't need to be mentioned anymore. A black coach, a green coach, a white coach? Who cares? If they're good, they're good. And Tomlin is wonderful.

FLAG ON THE PLAY
The NFL seriously needs to reevaluate how they evaluate their officials. You can't tell me that Terry McCauley was the league's best referee this season. And if you needed proof that he wasn't, it was evident throughout Super Bowl XLIII.

The Cardinals used two challenges, and in both cases the calls were reversed. The first one of Roethlisberger not getting into the end zone was tough, but the second was awful. It was ridiculous that McCauley had to go to the tape to see that Warner's arm was going forward. I could easily see it on live TV, while he looked clueless on the field.

Then some of the holding calls and unsportsmalike penalties were over the top. But I'm not going to waste any more keystrokes on this guy. I have hated him since the Saints-Giants game in 2005. I think there were like eight holding calls on the Black & Gold in the second game back after Katrina in Giants Stadium as the "home" team. I wanted to shoot the MF.

Every time I have to watch a game with that guy, I know to add about 15 minutes to the game time, because there are going to be lots and lots of yellow hankies flying.

ESPN NEEDS TO GET A LIFE
After the game, the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" shows its top 10 Super Bowl plays of all time. Three are from Sunday. You can't be serious. The worst choice was making Santonio Holmes' catch No. 1. It was a great catch. It was one of the top 10 plays I have ever seen in the Super Bowl, but it wasn't No. 1. Second-worst was putting Fitzgerald's catch in there. That was absurd.

THE BOSS IS LOSING IT
I took some flak for saying I hated the halftime show. I think it was mostly because I was expecting it to be great. I love Bruce Springsteen. Always have. I got an inkling of what was to come Saturday when I watched an interview with him. They asked him who was choosing the music for the show. He said, "I'm The Boss. I pick the music." OK, I have no problem with that, but it was the way he said it. It reminded me why I don't go see many concerts anymore.

Many musicians seem to play what they like to play. Screw the fans who made you a millionaire. That's it. Play what you want. Glory Days and Born to Run, great. Don't know the other two. Can't believe he didn't sing Born in the USA (and I'm not even a huge fan of the song). Anyway, just my two cents. I was, at the least, not impressed.

IS IT APRIL YET?
And now that football is over, it's a sad time in Sports. I enjoy the Hornets, and I like the NCAA Tournament. But, really, for me, there's not much to look forward to until Opening Day, which is April 6 this year. Play ball!