Super Bowl XLII Historical

[wdm1219inpenna]

Hello all, I wanted to start a new thread, rather than have this lost on page 26 of the other thread.

I came up with some historical info, and also some comments about the game, the commercials, and the pre-game show.

In random order:

The New York Giants become the 2nd NFL team to win 3 Super Bowls with 3 different starting QBs, the Redskins were the other. How appropriate that Doug Williams happened to be there last night.

The Giants become only the first NFC Wildcard team to WIN a Super Bowl, and only the 2nd Wildcard team to even PLAY in one (Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl X, January 1976).

The Giants became the first 5 seed to WIN a Super Bowl (The 1985 Patriots, ironically enough were a 5 seed and were destroyed 46-10 by the Bears in Super Bowl XX).

The Giants become the first NFC team to win a Super Bowl since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Super Bowl XXVII, January 2003).

I don't know who else heard this, but Terry Bradshaw dropped an "F" bomb during the pregame show. Howie Long donned a Boston Red Sox cap, to indicate he was selecting the Pats to win the game, and Bradshaw said something to the effect of Howie having a "big "f*****g head", and it wasn't bleeped out. Who needs Janet Jackson?

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

This year's Super Bowl had some of THE MOST DISAPPOINTING commercials EVER. Apparantly the commercial writers must be on strike too. Those commercials were lame, uninspired, and downright bland. Apparantly all of the great ideas have been used up. They were hideous, and much too frequent.

And what can I say? 4 years ago I thought the Eli Manning fiasco at the draft was going to be the downfall of the New York Giants. All he did was have a 4th quarter for the AGES last night. His great escape, the ensuing catch by Tyree, just classic. Mind-boggling, classic, exciting. That's why they play the game.

Finally, one of my favorite sayings is, and it was so true last night and for the 2007 season as a whole, "It's not how you START, it's how you FINISH that matters".

I look forward to reading your comments, and hearing your own as well.

Thank you,

Bill

[BBTV]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

[John in KY]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I don't quite know where I stand on this one - I think that it should be challengeable, but I also think that the coach should have to react and challenge right before they go to a TV timeout. As it was he had several minutes to look for every angle and then decided to challenge after the TV timeout. Ultimately it was the correct call, but lets put some type of time limit on the decision to challenge - say 30 seconds after the play is blown dead for those change of possession situations.

[Island_Style]

Terry said bucket head. It did sound kind of close, though.

[BB61]

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

If he didn't eat it first.

[zer0dotcom]

I don' see the 12th man call as anything but the Giants being caught. He was on field when the play began, so NY had too many men on field for that play. Even in a big game you have to keep your head.

I'll agree with you about the 4th quarter. Up until the last few minutes, there was really nothing spectacular. Manning and the Giants completed one big drive, and then the defense came on, and shut down the Pats offense. Because of what happened in the first 3 quarters meant that because of that play the Giants were ahead when the game ended. But hey, that's how games go sometimes.

[SouthSidePride]

It's really just nitpicking on the 12 man call. They had failed in their attempts to drive the ball, and Belicheck decided that he was going to be a sore loser about it. Sure there were technically 12 men on the field, but there was one player who was out of the play, would have had no effect on the play, and was merely a step away from being off the field. The refs didn't call it because they would have been ridiculed forever by every media outlet in the United States. Belicheck called it because he's a jerk and a sore loser, even on minute things. I don't believe in a god, but I do know that there is something out there that makes everything even out in the end. Call it Karma. Well, that Karma train drove right into Glendale last night and knocked the Patriots on their a**. It was that call to challenge, and the culmination of sketch things that go on in the Patriots practice facility that brought the Karma on them. Right now, they are the biggest chokers in the history of sports, 2004 Yankees be damned. It was this loss that brought the end to the Bill Simmons ESPN love fest with Boston and brought to culmination the Boston dominance of sport. From this day on, I declare Boston Choke City. I have never been happier, and all is right with the world, because the Patriots lost, and, in the words of Scottie Pippen, "It don't mean a thing if you ain't got the ring."

[TFoA]

I have never been happier, and all is right with the world, because the Patriots lost, and, in the words of Scottie Pippen, "It don't mean a thing if you ain't got the ring."

...but they have 3? I mean, yeah, this was a terrible loss for the Patriots (and I enjoyed every minute of it), but they're not just gonna fade into oblivion now. I fully expect them to make another run to the playoffs next year, and maybe win it if they upgrade their defense.

And I am still in shock that Eli "I always get sonned by my big brother on a regular basis" Manning is a Super Bowl MVP. We are in looney world right now.

[gingerbreadmann]

It's really just nitpicking on the 12 man call. They had failed in their attempts to drive the ball, and Belicheck decided that he was going to be a sore loser about it. Sure there were technically 12 men on the field, but there was one player who was out of the play, would have had no effect on the play, and was merely a step away from being off the field. The refs didn't call it because they would have been ridiculed forever by every media outlet in the United States. Belicheck called it because he's a jerk and a sore loser, even on minute things. I don't believe in a god, but I do know that there is something out there that makes everything even out in the end. Call it Karma. Well, that Karma train drove right into Glendale last night and knocked the Patriots on their a**. It was that call to challenge, and the culmination of sketch things that go on in the Patriots practice facility that brought the Karma on them. Right now, they are the biggest chokers in the history of sports, 2004 Yankees be damned. It was this loss that brought the end to the Bill Simmons ESPN love fest with Boston and brought to culmination the Boston dominance of sport. From this day on, I declare Boston Choke City. I have never been happier, and all is right with the world, because the Patriots lost, and, in the words of Scottie Pippen, "It don't mean a thing if you ain't got the ring."

Nitpicking? Sore loser? It's a RULE! You can't challenge rules now? That's the whole point of challenging. That's like saying you guys can't challenge Videogate just because they missed it the first time. I'm not going around calling the rest of the league nitpicky sore losers, because it's the rules, no matter how many other teams were doing it. Bad Karma for challenging a league rule that was missed by the officials and rightfully reversed? Bull***. Give me a break. It could have changed the game, had the Pats not sucked.

I'm not going to waste my time responding to the second half of that post.

[mantleisthebest7]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I was livid at the 12th man call. Had the guy been standing on the field, then i'd be ok with it. But the guy wasn't even stationed on the field. Belichick had a cow because an extra player's foot happened to be on the field while he was running back to the sideline. What's the guy gonna do, block the punt from the sideline? Grow up, Belichick. And next time, be a real man and stay on the field untill the clock says 0:00, you cocky sore loser.

[Jimmy!]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I was livid at the 12th man call. Had the guy been standing on the field, then i'd be ok with it. But the guy wasn't even stationed on the field. Belichick had a cow because an extra player's foot happened to be on the field while he was running back to the sideline. What's the guy gonna do, block the punt from the sideline? Grow up, Belichick. And next time, be a real man and stay on the field untill the clock says 0:00, you cocky sore loser.

Why? It's a rule. If you don't want to be penalized for having 12 men on the field learn to count. It was a fair call.

And, don't take anything Scottie Pippen says with a grain of salt. He was nothing without Michael.

[CZzyzx41]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I was livid at the 12th man call. Had the guy been standing on the field, then i'd be ok with it. But the guy wasn't even stationed on the field. Belichick had a cow because an extra player's foot happened to be on the field while he was running back to the sideline. What's the guy gonna do, block the punt from the sideline? Grow up, Belichick. And next time, be a real man and stay on the field untill the clock says 0:00, you cocky sore loser.

Calm down bitterman. The Patriots lost. Enjoy the scoreboard for a moment. Take a breath. It's almost "S**t on Red Sox fan" time. You need all the breath you can get.

[bosox]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I was livid at the 12th man call. Had the guy been standing on the field, then i'd be ok with it. But the guy wasn't even stationed on the field. Belichick had a cow because an extra player's foot happened to be on the field while he was running back to the sideline. What's the guy gonna do, block the punt from the sideline? Grow up, Belichick. And next time, be a real man and stay on the field untill the clock says 0:00, you cocky sore loser.

Sorry that Belichick was doing what's best for his team. Not that he's the head coach or anything. Shame on him for being mean to the Giants! Oh no!

[mantleisthebest7]

Belicheck's challenge of 12 men on the field during that one play was nothing short of a chicken :censored: call. The competition committee HAS to change the spirit of that rule, as well as the "icing the kicker" timeouts taken.

Couldn't disagree more. If the rule is changed, teams will attempt to exploit it to their advantage. If my team was in their situation and could get a first down out of it, I'd want Andy to throw the red flag too - and I wouldn't think there is anything chicken :censored: about it. The Giants (in that one particular situation) weren't as organized as they should have been, and it cost them.

I was livid at the 12th man call. Had the guy been standing on the field, then i'd be ok with it. But the guy wasn't even stationed on the field. Belichick had a cow because an extra player's foot happened to be on the field while he was running back to the sideline. What's the guy gonna do, block the punt from the sideline? Grow up, Belichick. And next time, be a real man and stay on the field untill the clock says 0:00, you cocky sore loser.

Calm down bitterman. The Patriots lost. Enjoy the scoreboard for a moment. Take a breath. It's almost "S**t on Red Sox fan" time. You need all the breath you can get.

Your'e right, bud. Got a paper bag I can breathe in?

Sorry, It's just that at the moment I wanted to throw a shoe at that darn cocky coach. Did he really think the Giants were conna have an advantage because an extra players foot was on the field while the rest of his body was just about on the sidelines?

"Oh crap! I know he's just about on the sideline but he's gonna block that kick! Even though it's physically impossible! Where's my red flag? Oh and I'm gonna make a point to be a sore loser and leave early if we are losing, just to let you guys know."

Ok, I gotta calm down. Its just hat I'm perhaps the biggest Patriots hater west of the Mississsippi and I jus t had to say something. Ok, man, I need the paper bag now. Im done. Whew!

[gingerbreadmann]

Sorry Mantle, but you're way off here. WAY off.

Do you really think he did it because he's cocky and he thought it gave the Giants an advantage when it came to blocking the kick?

He did it because he saw opportunity. The Giants committed a penalty(a challengeable one too), and the refs missed it. No, he didn't think the Giants would get an advantage(even though you were being sarcastic), but simply because he could get a first down out of it. Why people see cockiness and jerkiness in that is beyond me(or just Hateritis).Honestly, if you know that just by throwing a red flag on a field that your team will get a second chance at a drive to widen the lead, in the Super Bowl, no less, would you sit on your ass? Please. Surely you wouldn't fault Dungy or Coughlin for committing such a heinous crime. But since it's Belichick...

[mantleisthebest7]

Sorry Mantle, but you're way off here. WAY off.

Do you really think he did it because he's cocky and he thought it gave the Giants an advantage when it came to blocking the kick?

He did it because he saw opportunity. The Giants committed a penalty(a challengeable one too), and the refs missed it. No, he didn't think the Giants would get an advantage(even though you were being sarcastic), but simply because he could get a first down out of it. Why people see cockiness and jerkiness in that is beyond me(or just Hateritis).Honestly, if you know that just by throwing a red flag on a field that your team will get a second chance at a drive to widen the lead, in the Super Bowl, no less, would you sit on your ass? Please. Surely you wouldn't fault Dungy or Coughlin for committing such a heinous crime. But since it's Belichick...

Oh, sorry for the confusion, Gingy. I didnt say he was cocky for throwing the flag. I think he was cocky more for the fact he tried to go for it on 4th and 13.

I will be completely honest with you here - you are right about some things. For one, I probably wouldnt fault Dungy or Coughlin of that. and I see your point as how Beliechick took it as an opportunity.

But I have to come back with this - say two different teams, lets just use the Jaguars and Cowboys, two teams to whom I both have neutral feelings towards, met in the Super Bowl. And let's say that at the same time in the same quarter, the Cowboys have to punt and the Jags have a player running off the field and is just about on the sideline so therefore, he has no power over the outcome of the play. The hike is called and this Jags player has a foot still on the field. Wade Phillips throws the red flag to nab the Jags player. Again, I have neutral feelings towards the team, meaning I dont love them or hate them more than the other, so my opinions will be solely based on the rule and the situation and not on what team perfornmed which task.

So now I ask you this: Is the Jaguars player really performing any harm by having so much as a foot still on ther field? My point is, do you think this rule should be bent if the player is within a certain area of the sideline? Becuase in all reality, this Jaguars player could not posibbly give Jacksonville an advantage, nor could he give Dallas a problem. So I want to ask you, if a player, any player, even a Patriot, is at least a certain area from the sideline, say a one and a half feet away and in the process of running towards the sideline, tshould the rule be changed to make that ok? My point here, is, yes, it should. Because I have stated time and time again, this player cannot possible do any harm on the opposing team nor give his team an advantage. Now, if the player is just standing there at about two feet away, that raises concern and if that were the case in the Super Bowl, in all honesty I would have been on Belechicks side for throwing the flag. Meaning, I would be ok with it. But again, I beleive the rule should be tweaked to where if the player is in the process of running towards the sideline, his back turned to the play, and is a certain distance to the sideline (i'd propose a foot and a half, maybe a foot even), he should be ok and deemed unpenalized. I wanted to use the different teams and coaches example to lower the hype on Beleichick.

[Harmening]

Sorry Mantle, but you're way off here. WAY off.

Do you really think he did it because he's cocky and he thought it gave the Giants an advantage when it came to blocking the kick?

He did it because he saw opportunity. The Giants committed a penalty(a challengeable one too), and the refs missed it. No, he didn't think the Giants would get an advantage(even though you were being sarcastic), but simply because he could get a first down out of it. Why people see cockiness and jerkiness in that is beyond me(or just Hateritis).Honestly, if you know that just by throwing a red flag on a field that your team will get a second chance at a drive to widen the lead, in the Super Bowl, no less, would you sit on your ass? Please. Surely you wouldn't fault Dungy or Coughlin for committing such a heinous crime. But since it's Belichick...

Oh, sorry for the confusion, Gingy. I didnt say he was cocky for throwing the flag. I think he was cocky more for the fact he tried to go for it on 4th and 13.

I will be completely honest with you here - you are right about some things. For one, I probably wouldnt fault Dungy or Coughlin of that. and I see your point as how Beliechick took it as an opportunity.

But I have to come back with this - say two different teams, lets just use the Jaguars and Cowboys, two teams to whom I both have neutral feelings towards, met in the Super Bowl. And let's say that at the same time in the same quarter, the Cowboys have to punt and the Jags have a player running off the field and is just about on the sideline so therefore, he has no power over the outcome of the play. The hike is called and this Jags player has a foot still on the field. Wade Phillips throws the red flag to nab the Jags player. Again, I have neutral feelings towards the team, meaning I dont love them or hate them more than the other, so my opinions will be solely based on the rule and the situation and not on what team perfornmed which task.

So now I ask you this: Is the Jaguars player really performing any harm by having so much as a foot still on ther field? My point is, do you think this rule should be bent if the player is within a certain area of the sideline? Becuase in all reality, this Jaguars player could not posibbly give Jacksonville an advantage, nor could he give Dallas a problem. So I want to ask you, if a player, any player, even a Patriot, is at least a certain area from the sideline, say a one and a half feet away and in the process of running towards the sideline, tshould the rule be changed to make that ok? My point here, is, yes, it should. Because I have stated time and time again, this player cannot possible do any harm on the opposing team nor give his team an advantage. Now, if the player is just standing there at about two feet away, that raises concern and if that were the case in the Super Bowl, in all honesty I would have been on Belechicks side for throwing the flag. Meaning, I would be ok with it. But again, I beleive the rule should be tweaked to where if the player is in the process of running towards the sideline, his back turned to the play, and is a certain distance to the sideline (i'd propose a foot and a half, maybe a foot even), he should be ok and deemed unpenalized. I wanted to use the different teams and coaches example to lower the hype on Beleichick.

I think changing the rule would open up a can of worms. Then people would want every other penalty looked at and changed. This is just a case of rules being rules, and you have to play by them.

[gingerbreadmann]

That's a good point, but I have to agree with Harmening. They couldn't just change the rules now, and contrary to it's name, 12 men on the field would become a judgement call.

Regarding the 4th and 13, I think that was just plain dumb.

[chuckymack]

By the way, the monkey's officially OFF Eli's back. Kudos to the broadcasters for not mentioning Peyton with every breath, too.

But, I do love me some Peyton.

Speaking of which, I hope this calms down all of that 'Tom Brady is the best quarterback of all time' talk I've been hearing. Brady, while good, isn't half the quarterback Manning is. Or Marino, Unitas or Montana, for that matter. I honestly think that Charlie Frye could be a Pro-Bowl-caliber player in that system. Seriously.

Brady's nothing more than the product of Belichick's system, not to mention the benificiary of a fantastic receiving corps. Remember, kiddies: Daunte Culpepper almost won the MVP and was a perennial Pro-Bowler while throwing to Moss.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Speaking of which, I hope this calms down all of that 'Tom Brady is the best quarterback of all time' talk I've been hearing. Brady, while good, isn't half the quarterback Manning is. Or Marino, Unitas or Montana, for that matter. I honestly think that Charlie Frye could be a Pro-Bowl-caliber player in that system. Seriously.

Right. He's three times as good. And he has Manning's TD record.

Yeesh. I'm all well and good with hating on the Patriots, but at least be rational about it. Brady led three championship teams and the only 16-0 team in NFL history. Did Peyton do any of those things?