Super Bowl 45 turned out to be a good game with the result hanging in the balance until the final minute and was the most-watched television program in history. Initially it threatened to be a blow out when the Packers enjoyed an early 14-0 lead and even led at one time 21-3.
Not to be outdone, the Steelers clawed their way back to be within 3 points of the Packers, but they could not overcome 3 turnovers. Big Ben had the ball in his hands with two minutes to go but could not produce a typical Rothleisberger winning drive with the game on the line. A personal foul by a team mate pushed them back to their own twelve yard line and Big Ben was forced to taste his first loss in a Super Bowl with the Packers winning 31-25.
Unfortunately a series of calamitous events in Super Bowl week and on game day overshadowed events on the field. For six unlucky people, it was the frightening experience of being struck by the chunks of melting ice that slid off the roof of Cowboys Stadium on Friday afternoon in Dallas.
For another 400, the moment frozen in time came when they arrived at the stadium on game day and were informed that their $800 tickets — and many paid way more than that as they obtained tickets on the secondary market — were no good.
Your section is closed. Fire marshals would not issue the appropriate safety certificate for additional temporary seats added to the stadium’s original seating capacity. With the extra seats, Jerry Jones, the self serving owner of the Dallas Cowboys had hoped the Super Bowl attendance record of nearly 104,000 would be broken. The announced crowd (103,219, which included media and stadium employees) fell a few hundred seats short of the mark.
That capped the unfortunate series of setbacks all week that took luster off the game. This, of course, included the weather that organizers could not control. When the one storm struck on Tuesday, it ushered in three days of sub-freezing conditions. When a record snowfall on Thursday night, about six inches in some places in the region, it contributed more to the region’s paralysis.
Before kickoff, Christina Aguilera butchered the American national anthem while giving a passable impression of a constipated duck. The half time show didn’t go without incident when some of the Black Eyed Peas’ microphones were not working. They reminded me of a bad karaoke night in the Wildfowler Pub in my home town of Swansea.
A strike by cab drivers added another layer of difficulty, while the ice buried beneath the snow presented another hazard. Cowboys’ owner Jones issued an understatement on Monday, citing “manpower and timing” issues, but one wonders if Dallas will get another Super Bowl. Atlanta hasn’t hosted one since 2000 when an ice storm struck just as it did when the city had the big event six years earlier.
The Super Bowl clash between the Packers and Steelers was the first in the game’s 45-year history without cheerleaders. Jerry Jones is not one to miss an opportunity and offered the much lauded Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders which was politely rejected by the league officials.
Speaking of my home town, Swansea City lost to their arch rivals Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium to a late goal by the malcontent of Welsh football, Craig Bellamy. Bellamy is the type of guy who would start a fight in solitary confinement and arguably has the best snarl in association football. The Swans have designs on achieving promotion to the Premiership this season, but based on this performance and the abject loss in the FA Cup to Leyton Orient, they are not ready for the big stage.
Staying in the Principality, Wales lost their 8th successive rugby international; correction they drew against Fiji. To make matters worse they lost at home to the arch enemy, England. Warren Gatland, our New Zealand born hapless coach, attempted to wind up England’s hooker by calling him a choker. The player responded by making a huge contribution to England’s convincing 26-19 win. Gatland reminded me of my chemistry teacher who took great delight in attempting to bully and belittle adolescent school boys into learning mindless chemical equations.
No dialogue on egos is complete without mentioning those warhorses of the Premier league, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Ferguson fidgeted and fumed as he witnessed Man Utd’s unbeaten run of 29 games come to a crashing halt against bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers. Utd had the perfect start with a goal after 3 minutes to inexplicably lose 1-2. The Red Devils adopted the role of Little Red Riding Hood but couldn’t keep the Wolves from tearing her apart.
In the North East, Arsenal played sublime football for 60 minutes and scored 4 goals against Newcastle; only to see their lead frittered away by a great comeback by the Geordies aided and abetted by an Arsenal player being sent off and two penalties (justly) awarded against them. They were lucky to hold on for the draw at the final whistle.
When every neutral football fan agreed they had witnessed one of the most entertaining matches in the history of the premiership, Wenger churlishly dismissed the notion and stated: “It would not be a great advert internationally because people who will see that will not agree with what happened today.” Typically Wenger blamed the referee’s decisions for Arsenal collapsing like a house of cards.
Prior to Super Bowl on Sunday, Fox News televised an interview between two alpha males in the shape of President Obama and the arrogant mouthpiece Bill O’Reilly who would eat himself if he was made of chocolate. My humble television set, devoid of sufficient pixels, HD and other technical wizardry, could barely accommodate the two oversized egos on the screen. I will give O’Reilly special mention though; I have never witnessed an incumbent president, so-called leader of the free world, interrupted so many times by a television interviewer.
There are several candidates who could claim to have the most bruised ego of the weekend, and while the reptilian Mr. Jones runs him close, I must give the award to Arsene Wenger. I will never forget the look of anguish and disbelief on his face when Newcastle leveled the scores with 3 minutes remaining. Wenger looked up to the skies and I swear he muttered: “Beam me up Scottie!” By the way, I forget to mention that Aaron Rodgers the Packers quarter back won the MVP award with 304 yards, 3 TDs, no picks and a 111.5 passer rating.
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