Here are my thoughts on Super Bowl 50:
On Referees:
The first thing that opposing fanbases want to do is blame the reffing in the game. When Denver beat the Patriots the first time, it was because Gronk got called for Offensive Pass Interference or that Denver's offensive line wasn't called for holding. There was simply no way it had anything to do with CJ Anderson running roughshod over their defense. Or that they couldn't stop Osweiler, in his second start, from completing passes.
So, in the wake of this glorious victory, Panthers fans are bitching up a storm. First, the "was-it-a-catch" that was upheld as being incomplete. Go read the rule book and tell me that the nose of the football doesn't touch the ground and get jarred loose, regardless of what the hair-brained commentators were trying to peddle.
As for no-calls going the other way, how about not flagging the Panthers for interference when they made contact with Jordan Norwood prior to him fielding the punt? It was so blatant that even the Panthers on the field failed to make the tackle, allowing Norwood to squirt to the sideline and return the punt 61 yards for a Super Bowl record.
Or the fact that Von Miller gets held continuously. An offensive lineman can have his arm wrapped around Von Miller's neck and still not get called. I can't imagine how many more sacks he would have racked up this post-season had the holding been called. Being held and still forced a fumble. More no-calls here and here.
And let's not mention the fact that it is impossible to get Intentional Grounding called against Denver's D. Tom Brady and Cam Newton got away with it multiple times in those last two games.
And let's not mention the fact that it is impossible to get Intentional Grounding called against Denver's D. Tom Brady and Cam Newton got away with it multiple times in those last two games.
But no, we still have Josh Norman going off and spouting about how it's hard to win when you're "playing two teams." We'll talk about him in a bit.
Lastly, the refs did not lose you the game. Losing three fumbles, throwing an interception, having multiple false starts, and getting sacked seven times lost you the game.
Lastly, the refs did not lose you the game. Losing three fumbles, throwing an interception, having multiple false starts, and getting sacked seven times lost you the game.
On Talib:
The two personal foul penalties that were on Talib were legit. The first looked like he was jawing and shoving with a Panther and it could have gone either way. Acceptable penalty though.
The face masking penalty, however, where he tried to see if he could turn the receiver into Linda Blair ala The Exorcist, was disgraceful. Yes, it only ended up counting as a half yard penalty. But even after the game, Talib said he did it intentionally because he "had to show him." That is pretty disgraceful and disgusting to me. Even though Talib is on our team (and makes great plays), there is no room for that kind of garbage behavior. Between that and the infamous failed Three Stooges routine, he's had a rough year.
People try to explain it as "it's an aggressive defense, stuff like that is just how he plays" but I don't buy that and I'm not a big fan of it.
On Josh Norman:
This guy just loves running his mouth as the clear successor to Richard Sherman. Yes, he had a good year, but come on. I prefer my cornerbacks to be more in the vein of Chris Harris Jr. - stay quiet and allow your play on the field to make a statement.
Even outside of the outrageous fighting between him and Odell Beckham in Carolina's game against the Giants, Norman got beat for one touchdown and another would-have-been touchdown because Odell ran straight past him. He talked himself into the media spotlight and talks opponents to death during a game. Silence can be virtuous sometimes.
With all that said, I do respect the fact that he went over to Manning as the game was winding down and gave his admiration and a bow to one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Also, and this is to the broadcasters and cameramen out there, please don't show losing players sobbing on the sidelines. Unless they're Richard Sherman. Or Tom Brady.
But seriously, it's just heartbreaking and cruel. They just lost the biggest game of their career. It's supposed to be a moment of joy for the victors, not a moment to witness the personal breakdown of a human being.
On the Half Time show:
You know how I know you're gay? You like Coldplay. What a "meh" half time show. Bruno Mars was excellent, as he was before. Coldplay is the quintessential representation of generic.
Can we stop calling Beyonce Queen Bey? My wife and I just watched an episode of Lip Sync Battle where Beyonce had a BRIEF cameo and the crowd looked like they shit their pants with joy and idolatry. She isn't the Beatles, for fuck's sake. She hasn't revolutionized anything. It took SIX people to write "Run The World".
I can't think of anybody (celebrity, singer, actor) that I would meet and burst into tears over.
On Cam Newton:
Unlike his other detractors, I don't much mind the dancing and celebrations. He's got a lot of confidence and is playing the game in a wholly unique way. He does a lot of work in the community and giving footballs to little kids is sweet and admirable
Here's the thing though: his actions during his post-game preference, where he pouted with his hood up, failing to make eye contact with anybody, only to get up and storm off, are embarrassing and disgraceful. He was just voted MVP of the league, which makes him the face of the NFL.
If you're going to be bragging and dabbing, dancing and taking selfies on the sideline while your opponents are still trying to play the game, then you need to take defeat with the same graciousness. You don't get to just celebrate all the good times and rub your opponent's noses in it and then turn around and turn tail when the going gets tough.
Do you think Peyton Manning wanted to face the media after we got routed by the Seahawks two years ago? Do you think any frikkin' QB wants to talk to the media after a tough loss? Hell no, but it is in the job description. The rest of the MVP quarterbacks stand on that dais and answer questions about losing the Super Bowl.
And don't give me this hogwash about him being "just a kid." He's 26 years old. If you're old enough to rent a god damn car, you're not a kid. He's been in this league for four years and has a love affair with the media. He should know better at this point.
The crying for a flag after taking a legal hit is very Brady-like and was, frankly, a welcome sight after seeing Cam jubilantly celebrate every first down. Seeing him fall down and throw a tantrum was unexpected and indicates the composure that he still needs to learn.
Lastly, give credit where credit is due. During his post-game presser, he replied that the Denver defense "did nothing special." Really? Cam hadn't been hit more than 6 times in a game all season. Denver hit him 13 and sacked him 6 times in one game. Cam would have been better off saying that Denver played a hell of a football game and were the better team on that day. Trying to downplay the outstanding defensive effort by calling it nothing "special" belies how dominant it was.
To come out after the fact and not back down (despite his coach saying he'd learn from it) from his childish behavior just reinforces the point. He serves up the platitude "You show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.", which is a fabulous point to teach kids. Remember kids, if you're going to lose, act like a whiner and throw a tantrum! Because if you are gracious and respectful, you're still just a loser!
He goes on to say that he's proud if he offended anyone because he doesn't have to conform to anybody else's standards. Sound a bit like a teenager going, "I DON'T HAVE TO BE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE!"? And, here's a shocker, yes, you do. You can play however you'd like, but when it comes to the Fifth Quarter, and that is handling the media, you do have to conform. The same way that Manziel has to conform to the ethics standards put forth by the NFL or he'll be out of this league.
Don't make this a race thing, as it has nothing to do with that. Every losing QB in the preceding Super Bowls has had to face the media in the wake of their loss. Notice how the other Panthers players, black and white, faced the media like adults.
Also, on the whole "he didn't dive for the fumble" thing - get over it. This aspect is ridiculous. He looked like he was trying to evaluate which way the ball was going to bounce and didn't want to get his ACL popped. This is a case where the live commentators end up shaping the story.
To come out after the fact and not back down (despite his coach saying he'd learn from it) from his childish behavior just reinforces the point. He serves up the platitude "You show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.", which is a fabulous point to teach kids. Remember kids, if you're going to lose, act like a whiner and throw a tantrum! Because if you are gracious and respectful, you're still just a loser!
He goes on to say that he's proud if he offended anyone because he doesn't have to conform to anybody else's standards. Sound a bit like a teenager going, "I DON'T HAVE TO BE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE!"? And, here's a shocker, yes, you do. You can play however you'd like, but when it comes to the Fifth Quarter, and that is handling the media, you do have to conform. The same way that Manziel has to conform to the ethics standards put forth by the NFL or he'll be out of this league.
Don't make this a race thing, as it has nothing to do with that. Every losing QB in the preceding Super Bowls has had to face the media in the wake of their loss. Notice how the other Panthers players, black and white, faced the media like adults.
Also, on the whole "he didn't dive for the fumble" thing - get over it. This aspect is ridiculous. He looked like he was trying to evaluate which way the ball was going to bounce and didn't want to get his ACL popped. This is a case where the live commentators end up shaping the story.
On Being Underdogs:
In no uncertain terms, a big fuck you to all the doubters. Going into the playoffs, Denver was called "the weakest #1 seed ever." The defense didn't get their acclaim and there was just this expectation that Denver would go one and done again. Despite the fact that Pittsburgh was the only team to top 30 points on Denver's D, analysts and experts predicted that teams would roll 40+ points on Denver.
Once Denver got past Pittsburgh again, it was that they were going to lose by multiple touchdowns to the now healthy (and without any more excuses) Patriots. What followed was a dismantling of Tom Brady. He got hit more than any QB had in the last decade. He got hit so frequently that NE fired their offensive line coach the next day. You would think that would earn the defense some respect, right?
Wrong. Go ahead and re-read the analyst's picks knowing how it turns out. Some "experts" saying Carolina was going to get near 30 points. At least a good portion knew it would be lower scoring, though they still thought Carolina would win by at least a touchdown. Betting odds had Denver as 5.5 - 6 point underdogs. It was the same underdog status we had against Green Bay earlier in the season and then against the Patriots twice. People just kept sleeping on Denver's defense.
The Panthers (and their fans) tried to claim that THEY were the ones who were disrespected by the media, which is laughable. People didn't follow the Panthers last year because they were mediocre. And once they made it to a certain point this year where they were still undefeated, nobody was disrespecting them. They were at or near the top on every site's Weekly Power Rankings.
The kicker was the "fair and balanced" media coverage leading up to the Super Bowl. From the internet to the CBS coverage, everybody jumped on the Carolina bandwagon. It was all about "Denver is going to have to play the perfect game to beat the Panthers.", without allowing for the possibility that that works in both directions. Carolina would've needed to play the perfect game to beat us. How could that be? Cam Newton, recently crowned MVP and so full of swagger. Carolina coach Ron Rivera, recently named Coach of the Year.
76% of the experts picked the Panthers. The coverage before the game was about how Carolina's run game was impossible to defend and how their defense was opportunistic and loaded with self-proclaimed thieves.
There was very little, if any, acclaim for the #1 defense in the league. Did everybody, except for Broncos fans, collectively forget that slaughter of a Super Bowl two years ago? It proved the maxim "Defense Wins Championships." Consider that forcefully proven once again.
On Wanting This More Than Any Other Win:
As much as Panthers fullback (and chubby man) Mike Tolbert didn't care if it was Peyton's last game because it was the Panthers' "turn to win", as if winning the Super Bowl was something you took turns with, it was most definitely our TIME.
Now the Broncos can, presumably, boast that they sent not only one Hall of Fame QB out in a blaze of glory, but two. Peyton needed one more ring, if only so Eli couldn't boast that he had more. To me, this wasn't a necessary win for Peyton to cement his legacy. In my eyes, he will always be the Greatest Of All Time.
You can try to argue that it's Joe Montana or Tom Brady (yuck) and yes, those guys have more rings. But Peyton holds almost every conceivable record imaginable. Most Wins, Most Touchdowns, Most Passing Yards, 5 Time League MVP, and on and on. But even all that is not what makes him the greatest in my eyes.
This is a guy who had four neck surgeries. There was a time when he couldn't throw a football across a yard. In the face of that adversity and at risk of never playing in the league again, he was able to rehabilitate and return. He didn't just return ho-hum, he ended up having the greatest statistical season that a QB has ever had. Yes, his health fell apart at the end of last year and this year. But that can't diminish what he accomplished in the wake of severe physical limitations.
I've had neck and scapular issues for over a decade and have tried physical therapy endlessly and I'm still in pain every day. I know that he has access to a million more treatment options than I do, but injuries like that are hard to overcome.
Outside of Manning, I am happy for the elder statesmen on the team who finally got a ring. Owen Daniels, Antonio Smith, and Evan Mathis have all played in the league for a decade or more without winning a Super Bowl.
There's the younger guys with so much heart, like Emmanuel Sanders and CJ Anderson, who earned that ring with passionate play week in and week out.
Lastly, I am so happy for DeMarcus Ware. Aside from being an ageless, beautiful man, he has always been such a class act. He was never going to win a championship with Dallas and I'm happy that coming to Denver, and mentoring Von Miller, is what finally delivered that ultimate goal to him.
On Wade Phillips:
How in the hell was this man unemployed last year? Aside from his ridiculously funny Twitter posts, he has also shaped our defense into a wrecking ball, with very little change to the unit from what Jack Del Rio pissed away these last couple of years.
It is amazing to me that Wade, who has been coaching in the league since 1976, had never won a ring. Beyond that, his legendary father and coach Bum Phillips never won one either. Everyone knows that we owe this championship to him more than anyone else, and it's joyous that he finally receives accolades for his accomplishments.
On the Duality of Luck:
Consider these two case studies. First we have James Casey, a fullback/tight end who was on the Broncos roster at the beginning of the year. He played in several games, dealt with a nagging injury, and was eventually cut to make room on the roster for Derek Wolfe.
This poor guy has been in the league for 7 seasons and narrowly missed out on being on a championship team. In some cases, a team will actually get a ring for players who were on the roster earlier in the season. I have no idea if this will happen for Casey.
Second case: guard Robert Myers. He was a fifth round pick in the last draft and spent time on both the Ravens and Colts practice squads, before being picked up again by the Ravens and left on the practice squad for the majority of the regular season. The Broncos picked him up and put him on their roster in Week 17. Since he was part of the active roster, though he never suited up for the Super Bowl, he will receive the monetary bonuses. So he went from earning $12,500 a week on the Ravens practice squad to pulling in nearly $200,000 from the post-season incentives. And this kid gets a Super Bowl ring.
Sometimes life is funny.
