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.