When I read last week that Maroon 5 had cancelled its customary Superbowl week press conference which is afforded to the halftime musical act, I wondered if we would ever see another one of them. After Justin Timberlake famously declared that his young son would never play football in response to a question at that same press conference a year ago, the league was probably relieved that Adam Levine and company would, according to an NFL press release "let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday". Maybe the NFL could see if John Ashcroft is available next year to sing his "Let the Eagle Soar" song at the 2020 halftime show. His press conference would likely only offend the liberal non-football watching crowd anyway.
As for the halftime show itself, I thought that Maroon 5's performance was fine - pretty good actually. USA today called it a "white bread performance" which allowed them to avoid being the worst halftime show ever. I'm assuming that rapper - and Atlanta native son - Big Boi's coat was fake fur. Imagine the PR nightmare for the league if it turns out that it wasn't? As if the NFL doesn't have enough to worry about with race relations, spousal abuse, close ties to the Republican Party, a history of extorting public funds for new stadiums.....an animal rights problem might just land Roger Goodell on the Agenda with Steve Paikin where he would be pitted against lawyer Camille Labchuk from Animal Rights. If that happened, my money would be on Labchuk for a number of reasons.
The on-field backdrop for last night's 53rd version of the Superbowl wasn't ideal from the league's perspective. After a season which saw television ratings rebound amid a reduced focus on off-the-field matters, including a President who had more pressing concerns this past season than whether or not NFL players were standing during the singing of the national anthem, an on-the-field controversy engulfed the football world after the NFC Championship Game. An inexplicable and critical non-call on a clear pass interference foul late in the game sent the Rams to the big game instead of the Saints who surely would have won the NFC title had the right call - and the blatantly obvious call - been made. Equally inexplicably, the league was silent on the matter and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said very little about it at his annual press conference last Wednesday. At least the Rams didn't win the game.
And it looks very much like there will be no significant change to the replay/review rule. For those hoping that pass interference might be added to the list of reviewable plays (along with other judgment calls like holding), don't hold your breath. As Don Banks pointed out on Prime Time Sports last week, among the unintended consequences of such a move would be to draw attention to the fact that there is some degree of pass interference and/or holding on virtually every snap. The only thing I would suggest is that if the officials can pick up a flag - and reverse a called penalty - upon further discussion among themselves (not replay review - just a brief officials meeting), then surely they could also sometimes call a penalty and throw a flag after a play is over, provided that one of the on-field officials actually saw the infraction. It still seems unbelievable to me that no official saw the blatant pass interference two weeks ago in New Orleans.
On to the game itself: I wondered if its 14 punts had set a Superbowl record but nope, Superbowl XXXV in January, 2001 (Giants v. Ravens) featured 21 of them. The Rams, however did set two Superbowl records - the first by punting on each of their first seven drives and the second by Johnny Hekker who recorded the longest punt in Superbowl history at 65 yards (with 27 of them coming on a very favourable bounce). Those who took the under were happy at least. I found the game to be less interesting than Superbowls in recent years but still much better than a blow-out would have been.
So, Brady and Belichick have their 6th rings now. Will their run end there? I'm certainly not counting on it.
