Live-Blogging the Super Bowl

Based on absolutely nothing resembling an informed pick, I'm taking the Steelers over the Cardinals, 28-21. I'll add a few thoughts and observations throughout the evening below concerning the commercials, halftime show, and overall Super Bowl spectacle.

• Dumbest post-game question of the evening (asked of Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger): "What did you learn about yourself tonight?" Seriously?
• The Steelers are thanking President Obama?
• If anybody wants an example of modern day idolatry, check out how football players bow down to the Lombardi trophy. Golden calf, anyone?
• Okay, the eTrade baby made me laugh. "Shankapotamus." Hilarious.
• Game over. Steelers win.
• Pittsburgh scores. With the extra point, that puts the score at 27-23 Pittsburgh. How about those prognostication abilities, eh?
• Question: Why are the sideline television reporters always women?
• Note to self: Avoid GoDaddy (as if I didn't know that already).
• I can hear the "I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ" already: Warner to Fitzgerald, touchdown. Cardinals lead 23-20. Whoa.
• Safety for the Cardinals. 20-16, Pittsburgh.
• Pepsuber?
• Touchdown Arizona. It's a one-possession game at 20-14. Seven minutes to play.
• Cardinals making a come-back? Warner starting to pick apart the pass coverage.
• Coke Zero take-off of old Mean Joe Greene ad at least funnier than what we've been subjected to thus far. Cash4Gold ad with Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer humorous (especially Ed's "Goodbye, old friend" line).
• Fourth quarter. Would sure like to see Warner and company make it a game, but the penalties are killing them (91 yards worth so far).
• More ads: Transformers (bleh); Career Builder (not bad); Heroes (the football version with Elway, et. al. wasn't bad earlier on). Liked the insects taking off with the Coke bottle (my girls liked that one, too).
• Dumb penalty (running into the holder) against the Cardinals gives Pittsburgh the ball back with four downs on the 5-yard-line. Cardinal defense holds but Steelers score, making it 20-7 Pittsburgh.
• First round of second half ads: Coke: Avatar; Bridgestone: Hot Item; Denny's: Thugs; Monster: Need a New Job? Did everybody just spend money on ad space instead of the ads themselves? Lame.
• Well, I give the Boss an A- for great sound and energy; only thing I would have changed is Bruce playing less to the camera (the dialogue with Stevie seemed a little contrived, as did the stageslide into the camera). Still, a rockin' performance.
• Listening to "Workin' on a Dream" now - first time I've heard it. Catchy, but it sounds a little too Boomer-ish for me. Now we're talkin': "Glory Days." Man, the band sounds great (Bruce, too).
• "Born to Run" - that's more like it (albeit a shortened version). My six-year-old just told me, "Dad, you should be doing that." In another life, maybe.
• Okay, Springsteen's on with "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out." Why start with his guitar on, but then toss it (literally) before the end of the second bar? Horns sound good.
• Wow. Harrison's 100-yard interception return for the Steelers is not how the Cardinals wanted to end the first half. Can't believe he stayed in bounds all the way (they're now reviewing). Steelers up (at least for now), 17-7.
• Signal's back. Not sure Pixar's next film, Up, appeals all that much to me. Cardinals intercept with two minutes to go before halftime. Bring on the Boss. 
• Missing the current batch of commercials due to the train running by our house (for some reason, it leaves us with either a scrambled frozen picture or a black screen with a "No Signal" in a blue box). Guessing I missed nothing, or (more likely) the best ad of the evening.
• Cardinals score, making it 10-7. Two great throws by Warner (despite almost biting it on the TD throw). Surprised by how much older Tiger Woods looks in the Gatorade commercial (guess age is catching up with him as well).
• Beginning of second quarter. Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost? Sad. Looks like they didn't even try to tap into the 70's retro-coolness of that show from my youth. Actually laughed at Pepsi's "I'm Good" ad, but the female ten-and-under crowd are digging the Budweiser Clydesdales. Steelers up 10-0. 
• Steelers up 3-0. So far, the "Refresh" Pepsi commercial is decent, but the Bud Light commercials have blown chunks. I never thought the "Drinkability" campaign was all that strong in the first place, but it's certainly not when they try to make it Super Bowl funny.

Comments

[nick]

I'd give the commercials as a whole a C-. Nothing too memorable--good or bad. A lot of movie trailers and ad's for NBC t.v. shows. I liked the "Pepsuber" commercial; it's from a Saturday Night Live skit; maybe you didn't know that (or maybe you did). The Clydesdales have got to go. I HATE anything--commercial, movie, t.v. show--that uses a baby talking like a grown-up while his mouth is moving. It's just creepy.

I'd give Springsteen a B-. The performance was a little too campy for me. And, more importantly, he was out of breath for most the set. I know he has a raspy voice, and I know a live rock concert is not supposed to sound just like the album, but if he can't run around the stage and sing too, then he shouldn't.

I'd give the game a solid A. However, it was NOT the best Super Bowl ever, as some have said (even some who are usually pretty thoughtful, like Peter King of Sport's Illustrated). There were just way too many penalties. I do think the 4th quarter could be in the conversation for the best ever. Yet, another strike against it was the worst Gatorade bath of the winning coach since the tradition started.

If Kurt Warner wasn't a HOF lock before the game, he should be now.

[Craig]

Never saw the SNL version of Pepsuber; regardless, it was stupid. Still like the Clydesdales, and have always loved the eTrade talking baby. I guess I forgot to include the Doritos ads, which apparently got rated the best, but they were locker room humor at best.

As mentioned, I agree on the camp aspect of Springsteen and the boys, but I though the Boss sounded really good. Somehow I didn't pick up on any out-of-breathness.

I don't know my NFL games and quarters as well as you, Nick, but I wouldn't say 43 was "best ever" on any count. Didn't see the Gatorade bath, so you'll have to fill me in.

Wouldn't Warner's numbers gain him a spot as a Hall of Famer? I don't think of one game as a make/break for that kind of award without season numbers, regardless of whom it involves.

[nick]

Okay, so we'll agree to disagree about Pepsuber. At least you didn't have to live-blog this.

[Jennifer]

Polamalu's Coke Zero commercial was actually a remake of Joe Greene's Coke commercial from 1979, not Franco Harris.

http://bobbygriffith.com/2009/02/best-commercial-from-superbowl-43.html

[Craig]

Made the edit. Like the woman in orthopedic shoes, I stand corrected.

Thanks.