the Super Bowl

As you all know, I (Melanee) am a big sports fan. I love my football and baseball. But, for the first time in a long time I was not the least bit excited to watch the Super Bowl last night. It held little appeal for me. I've spent most of the football season so disgusted with the way sports commentators have slobbered all over the "mighty Patriots" that I've wanted someone, anyone, to beat them since about week 8. You throw in the fact the Pats set offensive records this season (# of touchdown passes, # of touchdown receptions, points scored), and they did it by running the score up when the game was well in hand and you have a team that I cannot, and will not cheer for. (Please note, I don't blame the players for this total and complete lack of sportsmanship, I blame their coach.)

I had predicted back before the playoffs started that the Patriots wouldn't win it all. Two weeks ago when the Giants beat Green Bay (the team I was really hoping would win the Super Bowl), my folks asked if they (the Giants) stood a chance of beating the Patriots. I said I thought they stood a good chance, just based on how they played 'em at the end of the season and how they had been playing throughout the playoffs.

So, I half-heartedly turned the game on last night hoping for a Giants victory. What I found instead was one of the most exciting Super Bowl's (second only to the Broncos Super Bowl victories, but I fully acknowledge that I'm biased).

Here are a few of the reasons I thought it was a great game:

1). I love a good defensive game, and that's exactly what the game was. Some said it was "sloppy" play, but I say a good defense will make an offense look sloppy.

2). The Giants didn't seem to be fazed by the hooplah surrounding the Patriots "the greatest team in history", they just came and played their game.

3). The refs let 'em play. There weren't many penalties called and those that were called were legit. There weren't any calls that one can look back on and say that it made the difference in the game.

4). The Giants put together an improbable drive at the end of the game to win it. Frankly, I don't think anyone gave them a real shot at coming back that late in the game to beat the Patriots (I admit, I didn't think it was very likely).

5). I like it when the underdog wins.

6). I thought Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was the best halftime show I'd seen in a long time.

My only real complaint about the game....I thought the commercials were rather bad. There were a few that made me smile or that I thought were cute, but generally I found them annoying. But, maybe I'm getting old.