They finished the story. Closed the sale. Slayed the “Two Goliaths.” An underdog city, with an incredible underdog run, finally won the most important City championship of any place that has all-four pro sports: The Super Bowl.
They have the whole set now. Something very rare. (And don’t ask me how to “score” cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco who have double-teams in some leagues.)
The Flyers: 1974, 1975
The Sixers: 1983
The Phillies: 1980, 2008
And now… the Eagles.
The statue could be Nick Foles, he played with the icy calm of a white walker once again. But I would vote for a fan in an Eagles jersey with a dog mask. That would be a cool and appropriate statue.
I married a Philly girl (tho not a huge sports fan) so I am up there 6x a year or more to see family. There’s nothing wrong with any of the Eagles fans that I PERSONALLY know.
It’s the rest of them who can die in a garbage-and-mud slide if you ask me. Hey Philly, here’s an idea: now that you’ve won one, see if you can do something to change your well earned rep as the most drunken, violent fan base in the league.
I know, I know. You say every team has that “un-redeemable 10%”. It’s just that YOUR 10% is the undisputed worst. And it’s more like 20%.
But hey, props to the champs. And it’s calamitous for the rest of us in the NFC East. This team brings back a better QB, an All-Pro LT, and Pro Bowl LB.
My gut hunch that this game would “break form” for Patriot Super Bowls, and be a comfy Patriots win turned out to be a bad burrito, not a good hunch. What my brain was telling me – that this was the weakest team Belichick has taken to the big show – turned out to be correct, at least defensively.
While Foles threw nifty bullets into drive-thru sized windows, and deft-touched fades that his wideouts made incredible finishes on, the Patriots did little to make him uncomfortable. Coverage was disorganized, and tackling sub-par.
Belichick’s decision-making wires got crossed and were all smoke and sparks early on. Fourth and 1 inside the 10, and he decides to kick? (Then of course, they botch it! Karma never lies!) Then later a throwback pass to Brady who drops it? Followed by a 4th and 7 instead of a 53 yarder indoors?
The benching of Malcolm Butler will be a story to watch in the coming days, as we find out what really happened. And losing Brandin Cooks to a dump-truck hit, surely limited some of their field-stretching options.
It was enough of an opening to help Philly believe they could win, even if they already did.
The game had lots of offense, and only 1 punt. It also had zero holding calls on either O-line, which I would die to know what the global % of NFL games feature that rare stat. It had some cool trick plays, a relentless Patriots comeback, a splash of “controversial” instant replay reviews.
(For the record: I approved both plays as “touchdowns” as I understand them to be in the game of football. I resent having to spend 3 minutes to litigate them, but whatever.)
Was it a “classic?” Was it a “great” Super Bowl? Meh. Not sure. Could just be my Redskin bitterness showing through. Since I was at the game in person – and stayed to the end! – I will need to watch the broadcast when I get home to get a better sense of it.
Quick Hitters
US Bank Stadium: A masterpiece. A natural light, angular gem of a building. It hurts me to think the Redskins are going to build an outdoor dump. Every new NFL stadium should be an indoor facility. It’s a crime to spend that much taxpayer money and make people sit out in the elements. And in DC we have ALL of the worst elements starting with sweltering August-like summer to start, and bitter wet cold at the end.
Halftime Show: I’m not a Timberlake aficionado although I think he’s fantastic. I know his hit songs, and not much else (save the entire Lonely Island catalog which is hilarious!) I had a hard time sorting out the songs and his lead vocals from the stadium mix. Not sure how it sounded at home.
Commercials: Gonna have to watch them online tomorrow sitting in the airport before I declare my faves. I saw some people say on Twitter that the virtue signalling and preachy-ness of last year’s crop of spots was absent this year. If so, I’ll call that a win.
Kevin Hart is a douchebag. I used to like him. I’m out.
I did not like Darrell Green getting tabbed to handout the Lombardi. I don’t know how that was decided.
Tom Brady was the NFL Season MVP. Those MVP’s are now 0-9 in the Super Bowl. #statoftheday
Bud Light promising to give every 21 year old Eagle fan one free beer along the taverns on the parade route seems like a sound idea. What could possibly go wrong? Dilly dilly!
The stadium replays were very late compared to TV. And when Cooks got flattened they didn’t show it. That is so fucking mindless. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE HIM ANY BETTER BY NOW SHOWING IT! HE’S NOT DEAD! It’s an important play that deserves at least ONE second look. Christ. Whatever. It’s on twitter. I’ll go there.
Finding the stream of the NBC broadcast on my phone was a joke. It took me realizing that I needed to UPDATE my Yahoo Sports app, and then enable “location services” in order to find the link to click. It was absolutely maddening. But I finally found it.
Finally, the folks of Minneapolis were great hosts and did the best they could with the event. But sorry, this madness has to end with cold weather Super Bowls. If you are ever here as a fan of your team, you want to get around and go places and do things, and not wear a damn thermo-survival-suit inside of cold saloons, with slush-and-mud covered floors. Trust me on this. The Superbowl is headed next to Atlanta, Miami, Tampa and Los Angeles. Thats a good start. I say knock Atlanta out of the mix (sorry, not warm enough in Feb!) and then add Dallas, New Orleans, Arizona, and Las Vegas… and you are done! THAT is your official, permanent, Super Bowl host city rota!
16 Comments
Jeff
In my 40 years of being an Eagles fan, not only had I never seen my team win the Super Bowl, but I had to watch our hated division rivals win a combined 10 during that time. It was fucking torture, and you can’t blame us Eagles fans for feeling like we were cursed and would never win one. I still can’t believe that this has actually happened. It hasn’t sunk in yet. We still need to win a few more to make it respectable, but it’s nice to finally get that first one out of the way. Nick Foles will be a legend in Philly for life. He finally got us a ring. Hopefully Wentz will fill the rest of the hand.
Fishslap
If it’s any comfort I think that most Skins fans would rather you get your first than the Cowboys or Giants getting any more. You’re all obnoxious, but they are a type of obnoxious that makes you chew at the furniture in annoyance. Whereas you are more loudly obnoxious, like a drunken uncle who can’t stop ranting about the army during Christmas dinner. But we don’t mind if you don’t get punched by stranger every day because of your loutish behavior. It’s fine that you sleep indoors some nights. But if the Cowboys and Giants never win another game again it would make me very happy.
The only problem I have right now is that you might win more. And that would be entirely unacceptable.
Mark S.
You forgot San Diego– a worthy SB city, despite not having a team anymore! Certainly nicer than some you included…
Tick Tock
Man did Michaels butcher that game up.
Trout plays for the LA Angles not Cali,, guy.
Patricia is not going to the NBA to coach the Pistons.
The kicker was last play of game when he says “this game will end on last play of game”. Yup that’s normally the case.
Retire already and take that nasal whining Collinsworth with you.
Hosel Rocket
All game long I kept thinking, “Goddam you Czabe for pointing out Michaels’ bad announcing”. I probably would have got there on my own but this is sports and the internet where rational thought goes to die.
Ricm M
Wasn’t Dallas covered in snow the last time they had the Super Bowl?
Fishslap
I think it was a very good game, certainly offensively. Or at least a very intense game. When the Pats took the lead late I was sure they would pull it off as always. The strip sack really flipped the late momentum so the Eagles got the chance they needed.
Too bad it was the Eagles instead of the Skins. Still, better the Eagles than the Cowturds or the Giants. One is quite enough for a while though. Hopefully something bad happens to them next year. Doesn’t have to be serious, just so long as they don’t win another Superbowl right away.
AW
Agree that Al Michaels was absolutely horrible. I have been a fan of his historically, and it seemed like he hadn’t done any actual preparation but believed that he could “wing it” through the entire telecast.
It’s criminal that both Collinsworth and Michaels seem to have no knowledge of the catch rules. It’s self-evident that those rules are terrible and nonsensical, but that shouldn’t stop the announcers from knowing exactly how the officials are supposed to be reviewing plays and what they are supposed to be looking for. Collinsworth had absolutely no idea of what was even being debated. It’s as if they feel like having “rules specialists” (which NBC didn’t even have on the telecast) means they don’t have to know the rules. The rules are complicated, but not that complicated. It’s not difficult to have a thorough understanding of all of them (not just the catch rule)–especially if it’s your job.
Fishslap
Problem is they don’t really have any truly good ones since Tarico quit. If you believe it, the French commentators that cover the NFL from France are really good. Learning French first might be a bit of a hassle though. But they really are good and take it very seriously while still being funny.
JF
As a Packer fan it is good to know that Matt Patricia is bringing that wretched defense to the Detroit Lions.
D Howgate
Houston
Cubby
You can add another anti-replay disciple Czabe. Those two Eagle catches for touchdown last night were analyzed to death by Collinsworth and they both came out the opposite of what he thought they would be.
Collinsworth made me pine for the Dan Dierdorf days where he would repeat x 30 about ‘inconclusive or conclusive evidence’ on every damned replay until I wanted to throat punch my Zenith. And it’s precisely why I rarely watch an NFL game anymore – not because Facebook told me not to watch, but because I don’t understand the rules anymore. A micro jiggle of the ball, super slow mo’ed down right before the toe goes out of bounds doesn’t interest me, nor should it interest anyone else. When the ‘receiver’ turns into a ‘runner’ shouldn’t determine 6 points or 4th and long. It’s boring, ridiculous and completely ruining the game.
Give each coach 1 challenge per game, let the refs do one replay 2 minutes before th half and the end of game. Other than that, just play ball!
dan
I’m from Tucson and it was hard enough to believe a University of Arizona QB was going to start in the Super Bowl, but to win the game AND be the MVP.
Very proud to be a Wildcat.
Zippy
“Tom Brady was the NFL Season MVP. Those MVP’s are now 0-9 in the Super Bowl. #statoftheday”
Didn’t the ol’ gunslinger win the regular season MVP and the superbowl in 96?
ZT
And since then, Kurt Warner won MVP in ’99 and won SB XXXIV. The #statoftheday should be updated to say no QB MVP this millennium has won the Super Bowl.
Fishslap
Oh, and Nate Sudfeld has a ring now.