I don’t consider this “cheating” to be cheating. I think teams should be encouraged to steal signs. What good is hiding the signals if no one’s devising new ways of stealing them?
I could live with the Giants winning – they’ve played great – but I went into this game hoping for the back-breaking comeback by the Patriots with 4:00 minutes left. Here we go!
I don’t always vote on the polls, Mwall. The last thing I’d want to do is influence the voting. Good man for your vote, Mwall. I should have known it was you.
Wow, that was kind of fun, even though I still wish that just once god would smite both teams in the Super Bowl when I don’t like either one. It will be entertaining to hear my NE friends tell me how they were still better, though.
Why don’t they mention that, except for that last drive, Brady really didn’t play well? Did he go to Acapulco last week with his supermodel girlfriend?
And the Pats have won their share of recent Super Bowls and Super Bowl upsets.
In some sense, this game reminds me of the Diamondbacks World Series victory over the Yankees a few years back. How often does a dynasty get overthrown in the final moments of the key game? Not often. I mean, I understand that the Pats haven’t won the previous two years either, but you see what I mean…
I had no problem with the Petty performance other than the fake fans (which was a big problem). It was more or less what was promised, which in a Super Bowl is all you’re gonna get.
Sorry I couldn’t join in the fun — I was actually hosting my very own Stupidbowl – (c) Mockcarr Enterprises, Inc. – party. At which Mockcarr was an actual attendee! (As were Townspeople Mryan and cjdawson, by the way.) I even missed most of the Petty performance, busy as I was dealin’ with the bratwurst and beer during halftime.
Anyhow, I’d just like to say two things:
1. I’m proud to say I called this Giants victory, though you’d have to get corroboration from Mockcarr on that one.
2. In general, I thought it was a Great game, at least a far as Superbowl games go. Look for that shot of whozis falling over backwards, ball clutched over his head, executing that amazing Q4 catch for the Giants, on tomorrow’s front pages.
Funny how we Mid-Atlantic residents can band together for a freaking *New York* team, as long as they’re the underdogs.
The big hit commercial at the Hrrundi V. pad was the talking coffee stain.
Belichick didn’t cry. He did what he usually does — refuses to do an essential part of his job (talking to the press) and punishes the reporter with macho truculence for doing his (asking questions). What a prick.
I’m not necessarily a fan but what kind of answer can you possibly give to those kinds of questions in that situation. Your team had been 18-0 and on the verge of a never to be bested season and you just got beat (and to my mind beat much more than the score indicated) and you get asked a question like “How does it feel to have lost?” What possible answer do you give to that beyond something similar to what he said?
Anyone remember the interview way back when of Duane Thomas by Tom Brookshire (sp?) Duane Thomas said next to nothing and Tom soldiered on, vainly asking questions that were met with silence.
Duane Thomas also gave one of the greatest summaries of Super Bowl hype around this same time “If this game is so important, how come they are going to play it again next year?”
He could have said, “I feel especially bad, because it’s my fault for going for it on fourth down instead of taking the field goal.”
I agree that “How do you feel?” is a silly question, but Belichick would have been just as rude if the reporter had asked a more analytical question. For comparison, just imagine how gracious Tony Dungy would have been in the same situation.
The only thing I find more uncomfortable than watching Belichick postgame in a rare losing situation is Belichick cracking an awkward smile. I know a couple of super-awkward, super-intelligent scientists who, I suspect, struggle with social skills and common decency along similiar lines of what we see with Belichick. I can’t fault the man that much for being who he is. Imagining him singing with Bon Jovi is all the hell one man should have to pay in life.
Regarding “Free Falling”, it is an awesome song for slowly waving your cigarette lighter. I’ve been trying to think of another lighter song which trumps it, but I’ve yet to come up with any.
Aw hell. If the Pats had dropped a game or two on the way to the Super Bowl I really wouldn’t care; the only reason I’m bummed about this was that I wanted the ’72 Dolphins to FINALLY shut the EFF up.
Also, if I could let my geek gear head flag fly for a just a moment, there was some sweet guitar and amp gear up on the Half Time stage. A 60’s UK Rickenbacker 12 string, some crazy custom Mike Campbell guitars (what was that retro blue thing with the racing stripes?), and the wall of Voxes behind them.
Indeed. As I was watching the performance, all I could think was “when did he morph into Adam Duritz”?
Aw hell. If the Pats had dropped a game or two on the way to the Super Bowl I really wouldn’t care; the only reason I’m bummed about this was that I wanted the ’72 Dolphins to FINALLY shut the EFF up.
As a Dolphins fan since 1984, this was the most gratifying part of the game last night. Sorry Rick (and thegreat48, too, for that matter). While I’m not a fan of either tream, it was a great game to watch as well, perhaps the best Super Bowl game I’ve ever seen.
I’m not sure I’ve ever hated a team more than these Patriots. Hated them more, I think, than any past Lakers, Braves and Cowboys teams. Such an awful mix of entitlement and false humility all year, wiped away as they failed and then ran off the field before the game was over. What’s the rock/general music equivalent for this kind of hubris? It’s probably not healthy to enjoy this kind of thing so much, but man, I enjoyed the shit out of it.
I thought Campbell’s blue ax was some kind of modified Gretsch. And the Vox ‘Super Beatle’ amps do look cool. Do they even make those anymore, or are those vintage?
Some Monday morning quarterbacking on the halftime show.
* I’m not even a guitarist and I enjoyed Petty and Campbell’s gear. The Heartbreakers might be one of the last bands to make a mainstream stand for old-gear-heads. Note that Tench’s keyboard set-up included a baby grand and full-size B3. None of those tiny keyboards with Steinway and Hammond setting. Can’t you people understand how much he rules!
* But overall, I agree with the solid-workmanlike comments regarding the performance. I think the days of the Super Bowl halftime show being an event of consequence are numbered. You go on stage, you do truncated versions of your biggest hits, you get the hell off-stage. Forget Nipplegate even, a performance like the one U2 did in 2002, when they were in full Nation-Healing mode, seems like ancient history.
Oh, I know about those! That’s are nearly as depressing as when keyboard players surround their synths with black cloth. Why so ashamed of the tools of your trade? You don’t see prog guitarists hiding their Steinbergers inside an empty shell of a Gretsch Country Gentleman!
Black cloth seems excessive, but I know several piano players who put black gaffer’s tape over the brand names of their digital pianos with the mindset “pay me to advertise for you and I’ll take the tape off.”
As for the Zapruder-film comment, I thik you’re blowing off comsething that could be significant. What does the Hall think here? Did regular-guy, no-nonsense Tom Petty liip-sync while the sellout Rolling Stones and the totally-unserious Prince kept it real?
I was trying so hard at one point, when I was otherwise unfulfilled by the performance’s professionalism, to check for lip-synching. I’ll have to check this out later. Gotta run now!
Perhaps the lack of impact from the Petty performance is due to the truncation of the songs. It’s not like the songs are 12 minute long slogs that were edited down to 4. They were 3:50 songs edited down to 2:35. If you think about how carefully thought out the original compositions are, it shouldn’t be surprising that cutting the second verse robs a song of some of its power. A chorus only works its magic because it’s set up byt the verses.
It never occurred to me that the music was prerecorded. Watching Campbell during his solos should tell the tale pretty easily. Does that writer who claims that football stadiums are “acoustic nightmares” not know that the Heartbreakers have played football stadiums many times?
Chickenfrank has called for a Petty medley.
I the interview with Petty during the pregame he said they’d rehearsed for a week or something just for this.
“American Girl”! Flying V penetrates the heart! Here come the cheerleaders from local schools.
Bearded Heartbreakers! Campbell’s got to drop the dreads!
No headgear, except for Ferrone.
It looks like normal people on the field, not professional dancers. Excellent.
This is a condensed version of American Girl, right?
We thought Chickenfrank had the medley called, but the judges say the mere cutting of a verse does not qualify.
Score one for “I Won’t Back Down”. BRing on the first half highlights!
Ron Blair has overdosed on Grecian Formula.
Mike Campbell is wearing a longcoat. So much for security!
Ok normal people who have been given LEDs.
Booooo!!!! Hasn’t the world had enough of “Free Falling”?
What is that lime green swirl?
Is Campbell wielding a double-neck just for the little slide guitar part? Rumor has it he’s going to play the solo from “Let it Bleed”!
I like this song but it’s too slow for this context.
WHat are you talking about BigSteve? We didn’t see any green swirl.
Good call on “Running Down the Dream”, Chick.
By not doing a medley they’re wasting precious seconds with the song-ending flourishes.
There was some cosmic green swirl against a blue background behind the people on the field during Free falling.
Cut straight to the guitar solo.
There goes the soloing close-up shot. Took them long enough.
That was over fast.
I need to go buy tires now.
Dorothy, while the band was walking toward the front of the stage:
“He [Ron Blair] looks like Khadafi!”
My apologies if I’m misspelled his name.
The high level of competency made for a disappointing performance, didn’t it? No special guests. No wardrobe malfunctions. No lip-synching. Rip off!
Cool shot of the Flying V being dismantled.
Brady looks totally inspired by that halftime performance. Look out, NY Giants!
I mostly liked Tom Petty, like I usually do. I never love him, though.
The Giants look like they’re getting it together.
Giants take the lead.
A Patriots win makes them the greatest team in the history of football.
A loss makes the 2007 Patriots the greatest football team to ever suck.
Time for the Patriots to man up. That drive the Giants put together was impressive. Is it time for an Samuels INT?
I think I’d be okay with a Giants win and the legacy of the Patriots to be cheaters that got caught and still lost.
Bud Light..Suck one.
That’s the greatest slogan ever.
I don’t consider this “cheating” to be cheating. I think teams should be encouraged to steal signs. What good is hiding the signals if no one’s devising new ways of stealing them?
I could live with the Giants winning – they’ve played great – but I went into this game hoping for the back-breaking comeback by the Patriots with 4:00 minutes left. Here we go!
Gotta go to Watson again.
Pats man up.
Mod, you may have hoped for the 4 minute thing, but when I look over at the poll, I see I’m the only one who voted for it.
But: Giants turn, and with enough time.
I don’t always vote on the polls, Mwall. The last thing I’d want to do is influence the voting. Good man for your vote, Mwall. I should have known it was you.
How about that catch by Tyree?
I hear Mama Cass warming up…
How about that Giants touchdown?
OH MY!
BOOM!
Sit down, Tom.
17-1. Good enough for second place!
Don’t back down, Brady.
There will be no Perfect Season.
Gentlemen, greet the 18-1 Patriots, the greatest team ever to suck.
Where’s the camera crew on the Dolphins?
Congrats, Giants!
SNAP THE BALL OR THIS GAME IS NOT OVER!
Belicheck has pulled a Randy Moss by loeaving the field.
Wow, that was kind of fun, even though I still wish that just once god would smite both teams in the Super Bowl when I don’t like either one. It will be entertaining to hear my NE friends tell me how they were still better, though.
The Giants played a great game, the game was entertaining as hell. Much better than the thoroughly competent Petty performance.
Why don’t they mention that, except for that last drive, Brady really didn’t play well? Did he go to Acapulco last week with his supermodel girlfriend?
I want to see Belichick cry.
And the Pats have won their share of recent Super Bowls and Super Bowl upsets.
In some sense, this game reminds me of the Diamondbacks World Series victory over the Yankees a few years back. How often does a dynasty get overthrown in the final moments of the key game? Not often. I mean, I understand that the Pats haven’t won the previous two years either, but you see what I mean…
I had no problem with the Petty performance other than the fake fans (which was a big problem). It was more or less what was promised, which in a Super Bowl is all you’re gonna get.
Sorry I couldn’t join in the fun — I was actually hosting my very own Stupidbowl – (c) Mockcarr Enterprises, Inc. – party. At which Mockcarr was an actual attendee! (As were Townspeople Mryan and cjdawson, by the way.) I even missed most of the Petty performance, busy as I was dealin’ with the bratwurst and beer during halftime.
Anyhow, I’d just like to say two things:
1. I’m proud to say I called this Giants victory, though you’d have to get corroboration from Mockcarr on that one.
2. In general, I thought it was a Great game, at least a far as Superbowl games go. Look for that shot of whozis falling over backwards, ball clutched over his head, executing that amazing Q4 catch for the Giants, on tomorrow’s front pages.
Funny how we Mid-Atlantic residents can band together for a freaking *New York* team, as long as they’re the underdogs.
The big hit commercial at the Hrrundi V. pad was the talking coffee stain.
That’s all from DeeCee, people. Rock on.
HVB
Belichick didn’t cry. He did what he usually does — refuses to do an essential part of his job (talking to the press) and punishes the reporter with macho truculence for doing his (asking questions). What a prick.
I’m not necessarily a fan but what kind of answer can you possibly give to those kinds of questions in that situation. Your team had been 18-0 and on the verge of a never to be bested season and you just got beat (and to my mind beat much more than the score indicated) and you get asked a question like “How does it feel to have lost?” What possible answer do you give to that beyond something similar to what he said?
Anyone remember the interview way back when of Duane Thomas by Tom Brookshire (sp?) Duane Thomas said next to nothing and Tom soldiered on, vainly asking questions that were met with silence.
Duane Thomas also gave one of the greatest summaries of Super Bowl hype around this same time “If this game is so important, how come they are going to play it again next year?”
He could have said, “I feel especially bad, because it’s my fault for going for it on fourth down instead of taking the field goal.”
I agree that “How do you feel?” is a silly question, but Belichick would have been just as rude if the reporter had asked a more analytical question. For comparison, just imagine how gracious Tony Dungy would have been in the same situation.
The only thing I find more uncomfortable than watching Belichick postgame in a rare losing situation is Belichick cracking an awkward smile. I know a couple of super-awkward, super-intelligent scientists who, I suspect, struggle with social skills and common decency along similiar lines of what we see with Belichick. I can’t fault the man that much for being who he is. Imagining him singing with Bon Jovi is all the hell one man should have to pay in life.
Regarding “Free Falling”, it is an awesome song for slowly waving your cigarette lighter. I’ve been trying to think of another lighter song which trumps it, but I’ve yet to come up with any.
Aw hell. If the Pats had dropped a game or two on the way to the Super Bowl I really wouldn’t care; the only reason I’m bummed about this was that I wanted the ’72 Dolphins to FINALLY shut the EFF up.
My sports fandom runs on hatred, not love.
Also, if I could let my geek gear head flag fly for a just a moment, there was some sweet guitar and amp gear up on the Half Time stage. A 60’s UK Rickenbacker 12 string, some crazy custom Mike Campbell guitars (what was that retro blue thing with the racing stripes?), and the wall of Voxes behind them.
Indeed. As I was watching the performance, all I could think was “when did he morph into Adam Duritz”?
As a Dolphins fan since 1984, this was the most gratifying part of the game last night. Sorry Rick (and thegreat48, too, for that matter). While I’m not a fan of either tream, it was a great game to watch as well, perhaps the best Super Bowl game I’ve ever seen.
I’m not sure I’ve ever hated a team more than these Patriots. Hated them more, I think, than any past Lakers, Braves and Cowboys teams. Such an awful mix of entitlement and false humility all year, wiped away as they failed and then ran off the field before the game was over. What’s the rock/general music equivalent for this kind of hubris? It’s probably not healthy to enjoy this kind of thing so much, but man, I enjoyed the shit out of it.
I thought Campbell’s blue ax was some kind of modified Gretsch. And the Vox ‘Super Beatle’ amps do look cool. Do they even make those anymore, or are those vintage?
Paul McCartney
Some Monday morning quarterbacking on the halftime show.
* I’m not even a guitarist and I enjoyed Petty and Campbell’s gear. The Heartbreakers might be one of the last bands to make a mainstream stand for old-gear-heads. Note that Tench’s keyboard set-up included a baby grand and full-size B3. None of those tiny keyboards with Steinway and Hammond setting. Can’t you people understand how much he rules!
* But overall, I agree with the solid-workmanlike comments regarding the performance. I think the days of the Super Bowl halftime show being an event of consequence are numbered. You go on stage, you do truncated versions of your biggest hits, you get the hell off-stage. Forget Nipplegate even, a performance like the one U2 did in 2002, when they were in full Nation-Healing mode, seems like ancient history.
I guess Petty’s performance meant more to some people than we thought. Check out this ESPN.com headline:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080204
Meanwhile, some commentators apparently treat halftime like it’s the Zapruder film.
http://tinyurl.com/yoobon
Shhh! Nobody tell Oats how many arena-rock “pianos” are piano bodies with electronic keyboards hidden in them.
Oh, I know about those! That’s are nearly as depressing as when keyboard players surround their synths with black cloth. Why so ashamed of the tools of your trade? You don’t see prog guitarists hiding their Steinbergers inside an empty shell of a Gretsch Country Gentleman!
Black cloth seems excessive, but I know several piano players who put black gaffer’s tape over the brand names of their digital pianos with the mindset “pay me to advertise for you and I’ll take the tape off.”
As for the Zapruder-film comment, I thik you’re blowing off comsething that could be significant. What does the Hall think here? Did regular-guy, no-nonsense Tom Petty liip-sync while the sellout Rolling Stones and the totally-unserious Prince kept it real?
I was trying so hard at one point, when I was otherwise unfulfilled by the performance’s professionalism, to check for lip-synching. I’ll have to check this out later. Gotta run now!
Perhaps the lack of impact from the Petty performance is due to the truncation of the songs. It’s not like the songs are 12 minute long slogs that were edited down to 4. They were 3:50 songs edited down to 2:35. If you think about how carefully thought out the original compositions are, it shouldn’t be surprising that cutting the second verse robs a song of some of its power. A chorus only works its magic because it’s set up byt the verses.
It never occurred to me that the music was prerecorded. Watching Campbell during his solos should tell the tale pretty easily. Does that writer who claims that football stadiums are “acoustic nightmares” not know that the Heartbreakers have played football stadiums many times?
I thought the Petty performance seemed real enough. It was the crowd performance that was staged. It was really pretty obvious.