The Super Bowl 50 recap

First of all, I guess they are using Arabic numerals this year, because someone didn't like the sound of Super Bowl L.

The Game: 
Before we get to all the spectacle and hype, we must all remember that, first and foremost, this is a football game. I am guessing this wasn't an exciting game for people who don't watch a lot of football, or if this was the only game you watched this season. It was a very defensive, low-scoring game. Some people called the play sloppy. I disagree, because the two defenses made plays and kept either offense from really moving the ball.

I didn't expect Denver's defense to be so dominant, and, for that matter, Carolina's O-line to be so overmatched. Cam Newton, usually an effective quarterback (he was league MVP, after all), was running for his life the whole game, and was sacked six times. Frankly, he looked like an Eagles QB. Denver's defense, particularly DeMarcus Ware and half-human, half-tree Von Miller, made more big plays, and that is why they won the game.

Best play of the game: This game did not produce a lot of footage that will end up on highlight reels. However, the best play for me was the 61-yard punt return by Jordan Norwood, the longest punt return in Super Bowl history.

Worst play of the game: This is still being debated. After a fumble late in the game, Cam Newton did not dive for the football. He basically stood there as Broncos defenders got the ball, and eventually capitalized with a touchdown to seal Denver's victory. One of three things happened here:
1. He made a "business decision," figuring it was in his best interest not to get injured and jeopardize his career. He is only 26 and may have many good years ahead of him.
2. He figured there was no way he could have won the game, and, for all intents and purposes, gave up.
3. He was so exhausted and/or banged up, he didn't know what he was doing.
Whatever his reasons are, this is the Super Bowl, and he deserves the criticism for not giving it his all from beginning to end. As I said before, if this was an Eagles player, he would be run out of town. Eagles fans still remember the infamous Ricky Watters "For who, for what?" game, and that was 21 years ago.

Second worst play of the game: The Panthers, down by 14, punted with 2 minutes and change left on the clock. Could they have won the game? Probably not. Should they have gone for it? Absolutely. It doesn't matter where you are on the field, you go for it in this situation. And did I mention this is the Super Bowl? Shame on you, Ron Rivera.

Douchebag play of the game: The blatant face mask penalty by Aqib Talib, who seemed to nearly decapitate Philly Brown. The worst part of this was when he admitted that he did this deliberately because he knew the penalty would only be for a couple of yards, since Carolina was close to the goal line. I am okay with players getting emotional and getting a little rough on the field. It is, after all, a contact sport. What I don't like is when one player deliberately tries to injure another player. Hopefully he will be fined and/or suspended for this play and his other personal fouls in the game. I also agree with Commissioner Goodell's proposal that a player gets ejected from the game after two personal fouls (I might make it three). I don't think the players' union will approve this either way. Also, they need to rethink how a personal foul is assessed when the other team is near the goal line. If the foul is committed inside the 15, then the penalty should be assessed on the team's next offensive possession. After the ensuing kickoff or change of possession, the first play from scrimmage should be backed up 15 yards, or half the distance.

More on Cam: The league MVP was curt and standoffish during the postgame press conference, eventually walking out, Denny Green style. Honestly, I felt bad for him. It was a punishing loss, the Panthers were favored to win, and Cam Newton is still pretty young, and wasn't able to express his feelings in a mature manner, otherwise known as being able to bullshit. His career is far from over, and we will see several more great seasons from Newton and the Panthers.

Super Bowl MVP: Usually, this honor goes to the quarterback of the winning team, often by default. That's why Joe Flacco was able to win this award. They weren't even able do to that this year after Peyton Manning's mediocre performance. This year, it went to Broncos defensive star Von Miller, who truly deserved it after making one great defensive play after another. My only gripe is it should have been shared with DeMarcus Ware.

Super Bowl MVPs: Before the game, the MVPs from every Super Bowl were trotted out onto the field. First of all, I was surprised that out of all of them, only one, Harvey Martin, is dead. Secondly, after NFL legends Joe Montana and Roger Staubach received applause, Tom Brady was booed relentlessly, which put a smile on my face.

Local connections: I really don't have any strong feelings for or against either of these teams. I was rooting for Carolina because I went to elementary and middle school with defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who was a good guy back then, and I am sure he is still a good guy. I was also happy for Broncos placekicker Brandon McManus, a 2009 alumnus of North Penn, my high school alma mater.  He was the first NP alum to play in a Super Bowl, and he played well, going 3-for-3 on field goals, giving him a perfect 10/10 record for the playoffs this year. Also, Jordan Norwood, who made Super Bowl history with a 61-yard punt return is from State College High School in Centre County, which is currently the place I call home.

Everything else (non-football stuff):
The national anthem: Kudos to Lady Gaga. This was one of the best renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner I have heard in a while. She changed a few notes here and there, but didn't go too far off the rails. She was also pitch and tone perfect on what is actually a difficult song to sing. The only criticisms came from people who said she looked too much like Effie Trinket from the Hunger Games.

The commercials: Not too impressed overall. The one I laughed the most at was the Hyundai commerical where Ryan Reynolds was everywhere. Also, Chrysler was smart to spend their ad revenue on its Jeep products, which are flying out of showrooms. I enjoyed the commercial that showed Jeep's heritage, because my grandfather drove a Jeep towing a trailer with a mortar gun on it throughout France and Germany during WWII, when the Jeep was first used. His Jeep had a top speed of only 65 mph.

Sadly, the best commercials aired during the Puppy Bowl. These were the latest batch of dogs driving cars from Subaru. And the best movie trailer goes to Jason Bourne, because this guy is back.

The halftime show: An ideal band for the Super Bowl halftime show should be loud, energetic and exciting. Coldplay is the opposite of all of those. This is the worst choice I have seen for a halftime show in a while. Thank God Bruno Mars and Beyonce jumped in, very disjointedly, to liven things up a bit. It was a foregone conclusion that Mars was there to perform "Uptown Funk," which is still an awesome song. Then there was Beyonce, who debuted a new single, which had conservatives and Fox Newsbots reeling, accusing her of race-baiting and spreading anti-police sentiment. First of all, it is always a pleasure to see these hatemongers get riled up. Secondly, I have no problem with her performance. A complaint and argument that is going around is that her backup dancers were wearing black berets like the Black Panthers, and said this is the equivalent of a bunch of people in KKK robes dancing on the field. This argument is baseless, because the Black Panthers do not want to kill and overthrow white people. Look at your history books. Also, yes, some of the lyrics are controversial and may be viewed as a slap in the face to police. But this is timely, shows we still have fundamental problems with race relations in our country, and, with the way some (not all) police have treated African Americans during the past couple of years, I don't blame her for doing what she did.

The broadcast: Unsurprisingly, CBS Sports did a fine job, using a countless number of cameras on the field, and the new graphic element that shows the vertical plane of the end zone could be the next big thing after the 1st down line. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms called the game well. Nantz rightfully excoriated Cam Newton for not agressively going after the fumbled ball near the end of the game, and Mike Carey was correct when he stepped in and said an early-game fumble should be reversed. The crew on the field made a bad call.

In closing, congrats to the Denver Broncos, and boo to the fact that I can't watch another football game until September.

The Awesome Music Project

I wanted to do a list of the 10 greatest songs of all time. What makes a great song? It could be powerful vocals, a great arrangement, or a melody that sticks with you. Or it could be none of those. In one of the few good moments in the otherwise sentimental and manipulative movie "Mr. Holland's Opus," he says the following about "Louie Louie":
"Listen. These fellas have absolutely no harmonic sense. They can't sing, the lead singer is yelling. They're playing the same boring three chords over and over and over. The recording sucks. The lyrics are awful when you can understand them, if you can hear them. This song is about a decibel away from being noise. But we love it. I love it!"

I love it too. Sometimes a song just has that certain something that makes you love it. When I made this list, I did consider vocal ability, writing and musicality, but, most of all, I just chose songs that I love to listen to. 

The majority of songs on my list are upbeat. I guess I just like faster songs that I can bob my head to in the car. And don't make any comments about these songs being "dad rock," just look at the title of my blog.

So how did I choose these songs? I started with my iTunes playlist, which has more than 2,000 songs. I used iTunes to give each song a star rating. I ended up with about 110 or so songs with five-star ratings. 22 of these were Beatles songs, by the way. I then picked out 18 songs that I consider my favorites, then further whittled the list to 10. 

Surprisingly, the newest song on this list is from 1986, which either reinforces how much of an old fart I really am, or underscores how much newer music really sucks. I tend to go with the old fart argument, because there are some newer songs I would consider putting on this list to see if they stand the test of time. For example, "Uptown Funk" is a glorious throwback to '70s music that is a blast to listen to.  I will wait, though, because, when I was growing up in the 1980s, I thought "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire, and "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby were the greatest songs ever. Needless to say, although these songs are still catchy to me, they haven't exactly stood the test of time. 

Other observations - 5 of the 10 songs were from 1969 and 1970, a few years before I was born. I guess this is when music hit its peak. Also, all 10 of these songs were sung by men. First of all, save the Michael Jackson jokes for later, and secondly, this doesn't mean that I don't like female vocalists. There are some songs from Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Alanis Morissette, and, don't laugh, the Go Go's, that came close to making this list.

Finally, don't hit me with the complaints like "What about this???" or "You should have included that." Music is very subjective, and everyone has their own personal tastes. For example, my wife's favorite band is U2, mainly because of Bono's passion and emotion that comes through in his music. I personally think U2 is one of the most overrated bands out there, and mediocre at best from a musical standpoint, but I do respect my wife's opinion, and I do think she has a valid point about Bono. On the other hand, my wife despises one of my favorite bands, the Beastie Boys, because "all they do is scream." So, please respect my personal taste here, and I won't give you a hard time when you share a selfie from the Coldplay concert.

First, I will list the eight songs that I had to cut to get the list to 10. I guess you can call them honorable mentions:

"You Oughta Know," Alanis Morrissette, 1995

"Let It Be," The Beatles, 1970

"Back in the High Life," Steve Winwood, 1986

"Suspicious Minds," Elvis Presley, 1969

"New Sensation," INXS, 1987

"Allentown," Billy Joel, 1982

"Let's Dance," David Bowie, 1983

"The Power of Love," Huey Lewis and the News, 1985

Here are my top ten songs in alphabetical order. I can't rank these songs because they are all so good, but I think I may have 1 or 2 favorites.

"25 or 6 to 4," Chicago, 1970: Some people younger than me may not even realize that, before Chicago started churning out cheesy love ballads in the 1980s, they were a brassy, loud jazz-rock band that kicked some musical ass. This driving tune was their best. Everything works here, including the fat horn hits, (all three horn players are still with the band), Peter Cetera's high, but strong vocals, and a great guitar solo by the late Terry Kath, who made great use of the wah-wah pedal. The band finally received its long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Peter Cetera promised to return to the band and play this song one last time in the key of E, calling for all other past and present band members to join him. I can't wait to see this happen. (update: The band refused and let Cetera down.)

"Higher Love," Steve Winwood, 1986: As you can see, another Winwood song, "Back in the High Life," from the same album as this song, was an honorable mention. "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do" and even "Gimme Some Lovin' " came close to making this list. The former frontman for the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic is really that good. It is rare to see a musician as talented as Winwood. He has a great voice, he is a gifted music writer and arranger, and he can play multiple instruments, including guitar and drums. He is best known as one of the greatest rock keyboardists of all time. This great song blends many different genres such as rock, pop, soul and even samba. The song is musically complex and difficult to sing, but Winwood's vocals, with a little help from Chaka Khan, are up to the task. The horns, great use of percussion and subtle drum-machine work keep the song moving. I have listened to this song hundreds of times, and I still can pick out new things I haven't heard before. I would say this song stands out as one of the best, even on this list of my favorites.

"Into the Mystic," Van Morrison, 1970: This song as a cool, ethereal feel to it, almost like you are floating. But this song is on this list for one big reason, which is Van Morrison's vocals. I still get goose bumps as I listen to him belt out the chorus of this song. I am usually not into analyzing, or even paying attention to lyrics, but this has me wondering if this is a superficial song about a sailor wanting to return to his lover, or if it is something more spiritual.

"I've Got a Feeling," The Beatles, 1970: This was originally two songs - One by Paul McCartney and another by John Lennon. These combined to make one unbelievable song, a tough choice from almost two dozen Beatles songs I gave a 5-star rating. The lyrics to Paul's song are optimistic, while John is singing about what a hard year he had (and he actually did have a hard year). The juxtaposition of these two themes is brilliant, along with the bluesy feel of the song, and Paul reminding us that he is one of the greatest screamers in rock history. 

"I Want You Back," The Jackson 5, 1969: Yes, the Jackson 5 was a boy band, but they were an immensely talented boy band who actually played their own instruments, and happened to have Michael Jackson as a lead vocalist. This song is so easy and enjoyable to listen to, with a great bass groove, a great melody, and effective use of chords, not to mention soaring vocals from a then 11-year old Michael. Along with "Higher Love," I would call this one of the top songs on this short list.

"Somebody to Love," Queen, 1976: This song showcases everything that elevated Queen over just about every other rock band. This song has the band's complex musical and vocal arrangements, a great guitar solo by Brian May, and of course, the incomparable tone and 4-octave range of arguably the greatest frontman in rock history, Freddie Mercury. (my apologies to fans of the Rolling Stones). Mercury was inspired by Aretha Franklin, another legendary vocalist, when he wrote this song. Like "Higher Love," I hear something new everytime I hear this song.

"Spinning Wheel," Blood, Sweat & Tears, 1969: This is the craziest song on this list. It has probably the best horn arrangement I have ever heard on a rock song. The lick at 1:39 shows why the trombone is the greatest instrument ever. In addition to the horns, you get to enjoy some psychedelic lyrics that are a reflection of the era, and the bluesy vocals of David Clayton Thomas. The song then goes into 3/4 time and ends with the melody from the folk tune "Did You Ever See a Lassie," followed by the drummer's sarcastic quip, "That wasn't too good." Truly a trip from beginning to end. By the way, avoid the radio edit at all costs, because it absolutely eviscerates this great song.

"Superstition," Stevie Wonder, 1972: I grew up hearing a lot of this song, because my mother was also a Stevie Wonder fan, and also because I saw the now iconic performance of this song several times on "Sesame Street." Here is another immeasurably talented musician, who played every instrument on this song except for the trumpet and tenor sax. This includes the funky clavinet part, the Moog synth bass, and even the drums. The funky feel of this song makes you want to get up and dance, and Stevie's vocals are great. Sonia Manzano, who we all know as Maria from Sesame Street, described the overall feeling in the studio as "pure joy" when Stevie came to perform the song on the show. That pretty much sums it up. 

"Under Pressure," Queen and David Bowie, 1981: This song puts together two of the most iconic vocalists and artists in rock history, and the result is every bit as good as you would expect. First of all, there's the bass groove, which most younger people recognize from "Ice Ice Baby," which Vanilla Ice swears he didn't steal from this song (Yeah, right). Then there are the melodic vocals. Even though Freddie Mercury has a louder, more brash tone to his voice, both Mercury and Bowie complement each other perfectly. I remember a radio interview with a celebrity, I can't recall who, about this song, and she said, "It's not just good, it's transcendent." I can't think of a better word to describe this song.

 "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin," Michael Jackson, 1983: It was hard to pick one song off of "Thriller," MJ's career-defining album, and, in my opinion, the greatest rock/pop album of all time. I went with the opening track because it shows off everything that was great about this album: Great music arrangement, great vocals, and songs that transcended genre and seamlessly used elements from many different types of music. This exciting, energetic, funky song never lets up, partly because the same 2-measure bass line drives the entire song except for the short stop-time section near the end of the tune.