Possibly the worst Super Bowl in the last few years!

Congratualtions to the Steelers and Steeler nation, but I had quite a few problems with this year's Sub-Par Bowl. Don't get me wrong, the game had its moments and was ok overall, but this is supposed to be the "Super" Bowl. And no point did I feel nearly as excited about this game and I think everything encompassing this game was just not as great as in years pass. Maybe it was the 2 week layoff (which should never, ever, ever be allowed again) or maybe it had to do with some of these problems:

The Officiating - Everyone likes to say that a well officiated game is one where you don't even know the refs are there, and I couldn't agree more. I'm not going to make the excuse that this is why the Seahawks lost, but it certainly contributed to some degree. This may be the first time ever that the losing team wins the turnover battle (2 to 1), has more total yardage (396 to 339), has a greater time of possession (33:02 to 26:58), and their quarterback out plays the opposing teams (Hasselbeck-26/49 273 yds. 1 int. 1 TD 67.8 QB Rating to Roethlisberger - 9/21 123 yds. 2 int. 0 TD 22.6 QB rating) and STILL can only muster 10 points and loses by 11...give me a break. Don't get me wrong, I still think Pittsburgh wins in the long run, but it could have been a much closer, and thus more exciting, game than it was.

The 4 biggest officiating misteps I had a problem with were 1) The pass interference in the end zone. I understand that's the rule, but it was almost as if the ref waited for the DB to complain before throwing the flag. If you think it was a penalty, throw that flag with authority as soon as you see it. I still say that's a weak call anyway, especially in the Super Bowl. 2) The holding call on Locklear during the play that got Seattle to the 1 yard line. That was horrendous enough that even Madden saw it. This call effectively took 7 points off the board for Seattle. 3) What phantom crap were they calling on Hasselbeck on the tackle after the interception. He wasn't blocking anyone, he made the tackle. That was a huge swing in momentum and field position. 4) Big Ben's TD run. On something that close I can't see calling that a TD when the ball lands short of the goal line after the play is over. Maybe he got in maybe not, but if you aren't certain, you can't say that's a TD in my opinion.

The Star Spangled Banner - Was Neville's mic even on? Was Aretha just too fat and old to make it all the way through the song or something? I liked her, hated him, and hated the idea of splitting up the song. Next time, just let Aretha do it by herself.

The Halftime Show - I never in my life need to see a 62 year old British man prancing around in a belly shirt. I'm not sure if I can ever recover from this. Not only that, but was it just me or was the sound horrible for their preformance. It sounded awful, looked awful and was a harsh reminder that the Stones are on a downhill slide. I still think they should have gone all Detroit legends for all the music involved with the Super Bowl. You can have the Stones any time, but we'll most likely never see the Super Bowl in Detroit again.

The Commercials - This is what everybody wants to see besides the game, and I think they were a bit lack luster this year. Their were a few good ones, but most were just boring or making a stupid joke that any drunk 3 stools down at the local bar could make. And the one where the robot and giant monster have a Hummer for a kid was just fucking disturbing! I really need to find a way into marketing because I believe I'd be hailed as a genius for coming up with one original idea.

Let's recap: Officiating=horrible, Music=sub-par and disappointing, Commercials=ok, but no real memorable one that every body and their brother can recite at the office for the next 6 months, Game=once again the game was good, don't get me wrong, but it could have been great. Overall I'm going to give this game a B grade. It would be a C or C+, but I'll always have the fond memory of Mark jumping into Law's arms to make me laugh. Congrats to you Steeler fans out there for getting to see your team bring home the hardware. And if anyone has a touching Jerome Bettis story to tell, let us know because I'm not sure that angle has totally been ran into the ground and beaten to death.