Okay, quick now.
1. Who coined the term “Super Bowl”?
2. Who scored the first touchdown in a Super Bowl?
3. Who has the longest run from scrimmage in a SB game?
4. Who caught the most touchdown passes in a SB game?
5. Who threw the most touchdown passes in a single SB game?
6. What’s the dumbest call by a coach in a Super Bowl game?
On that last question, if you said Seattle coach Pete Carroll’s call for a pass on a second and goal on the New England one with 26 seconds to go in the game, particularly with Marshawn Lynch in the Seahawks backfield, you are surely not alone. Up to two thirds of the fans who watched the game are demanding that Coach Carroll not only be fired but also thrown in a dungeon and never allowed to see the light of day again. For all you folks who wagered on a Seattle win and lost, your feelings about the coach are probably even less charitable than that. Last week I confessed my dislike for both teams and said that I might not even watch the game. Well, I did watch the game. My sister Robin hosted a very fun little Super Bowl party at my mom’s house. Coney dogs, French fries, and baked beans were on the menu and they were delicious. As to the game, because of my disdain for both teams, I was able to appreciate the play of both teams with no personal involvement. I could really study and enjoy Tom Brady’s masterful dissection of the Legion of Boom. Russell Wilson keeping the Seattle offense on the move and in contention. Marshawn Lynch headbanging the Patriot defense for 104 kick-butt yards. Rob Gronkowski grabbing the ball and running over people. Jermaine Kearse’s jaw-dropping 33-yard circus catch on the New England five yard line with a minute fourteen left. And then, of course, THE INTERCEPTION!
There were many heroes in the game and not just a few villains. Richard Sherman, the Seahawk cornerback with an opinion on everything, was taken down a few pegs and the look on his face at Malcolm Butler’s play was priceless. Seattle wideout Doug Baldwin’s obscene and classless touchdown celebration was typical for Seattle during the course of Sunday night’s game. Bill Belichick’s slightly irritated game face which he wears no matter what’s happening. Tom Brady’s jump for joy when he realized that he was going to win his fourth Super Bowl. And of course New England’s rookie safety Malcolm Butler who made a play for the ages. No matter what happens to Mr. Butler, for the rest of his life, he has attained sports immortality with that interception. It will go down as one of the great moments in Super Bowl history. Malcolm Butler came into the NFL this year as an undrafted free agent from West Alabama making the NFL minimum salary and he finishes it as an international hero who sports fans will always remember. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. Such is fate.
As to the rest of the spectacle. Katy Perry’s halftime show was a family friendly, entertaining, and very visual production. The effect of the feared outbreak of measles has yet to be determined. The Seattle defense starting a fight on the last play of the game showed a lack of class if not sportsmanship. The commercials were generally entertaining, but the Nationwide insurance ad will go down in infamy as the most inappropriate ever. Marshawn Lynch came away as a folk hero for the way he handled the absurdity of the pregame hoopla. Finally — Deflategate and the Aaron Hernandez murder trail were not mentioned during the course of the game but these incidents are still out there and have not been resolved. How they are resolved will effect this New England Patriots team’s place in sports history.
ANSWERS
1. Lamar Hunt, the late owner of the Kansas City Chiefs coined the term in 1967 just before the first Super Bowl.
2. Green Bay wide receiver Max McGee caught a 37 yard pass from Bart Starr. McGee had not expected to play and spent the previous night out on the town with his pal Paul Hornung. He was operating on no sleep and was hung over when he had to go in the lineup to replace injured Carroll Dale.
3. Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker had a 75 yard run against Seattle in Super Bowl XL
4. San Francisco’s Jerry Rice caught three touchdowns in two different games: First time against Denver in Super Bowl XXIV and then against San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX.
5. San Francisco’s Steve Young threw six touchdown passes against San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX.
6. Strictly a matter of personal opinion.
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