Super Bowl XLIII Open Thread
by Brian Galliford on Feb 1, 2009 10:09 AM EST
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Super Bowl XLIII
Arizona Cardinals (12-7) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4)
6:00 PM EST
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL (NBC)
It's Super Bowl Sunday, Rumblers! I don't care who you are or which NFL team you support, Super Bowl Sunday is a spectacle to behold. Tonight at 6PM on NBC, the upstart Arizona Cardinals, led by one of the best stories in NFL history in Kurt Warner, will attempt to win themselves a championship while simultaneously preventing the Pittsburgh Steelers from obtaining their sixth. America usually roots for the underdog; today, most of America are pulling for the Cardinals.
I'm one of those people. The Cardinals are the underdog franchise, to be certain, but it's also a franchise that has risen out of the doldrums of the NFL to compete on the league's biggest stage. Win or lose, the Cardinals are once again legitimate in NFL circles. Their rise embodies everything I hope the Buffalo Bills can achieve from a similar situation; I feel it's my duty to root for the Cardinals for that reason alone. But while I'll be cheering the Cardiac Cards on, I'm going to pick the Steelers in this one, 27-21.
This is an open thread for the big day. Any topic is up for grabs. Where (or if) you'll be watching; the delicious spread you'll be devouring; who you're pulling for; your game prediction; is John Madden immortal?; favorite Super Bowl memories; anything and everything is open for discussion today. We won't get another national holiday for a couple of months, folks, so enjoy Super Bowl Sunday while it lasts!
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Gotta go with the underdog, otherwise i wouldn’t be a bills fan.
by CanadianBillsFan on Feb 1, 2009 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
cards
I like the Cards in this one. I think they’ll keep Warner clean enough to do some major damage, and that Cardinal pass rush will get after Big Ben.
Cards 27
Steelers 23
MARVelous
I'm exactly the opposite
I think the Steel Curtain will clamp down on Warner, while the Steelers O line keeps Ben clean enough and opens enough holes for the running attack to get a win.
31-17 Steelers.
by Dyl on Feb 1, 2009 3:57 PM EST up reply actions
AFC Baby
As much as it hurts, if Buffalo is not in it, then I will stay AFC. Sometimes it hurts really bad IE (rooting for New England)
Steelers 36
Cards 26
you occasionally root for the pats?… i think i just pucked a little
by CanadianBillsFan on Feb 1, 2009 1:01 PM EST up reply actions
I didn’t say it was easy, but I am die hard Bills fan then AFC east fan then AFC fan. It does sound weird but thru the years I found die-hard New England and Jets fans stand by me and root for Buffalo during our glory days while serving on the USS Briscoe.
Years later I found myself with the same friends and I did root for New England (not loudly and a few drinks did help) The Six of us try to get together every year if we are not underway. We Root for our AFC Team the East then AFC…..I do not not root for any AFC East team during the regular season unless the Bills benefit
with a little elaboration i’ll have to agree with you then. kinda like me and hockey, i’m a motreal canadians fan first and an ottawa senaters (one of their biggest rivals) second.
by CanadianBillsFan on Feb 1, 2009 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
Amazing
Cards have more votes
With that said:
AZ 23
Pittsburgh19
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
Steelers
I expect low scoring, like 17-13 or something.
To counter Brian’s argument for rooting for the cards, it was interesting reading this week’s Sports Illustrated and seeing how until the 1970s the Steelers were perennial losers. The city liked them but they never won. Then they got Chuck Noll instead of Joe Paterno and the whole thing turned around. EVer since then it’s been passed down and passed down how to win in Steeler town. I hope we become the Steelers, not the Cardinals.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
I’m just wondering how many of us are rooting for the Cards because we were overtly impressed by Arizona’s utter dismantling of the Bills earlier this season as well as the general classiness of the community over at RotB?
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
Im on the bandwagon......
Cards 24
Steelers 20
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Feb 1, 2009 2:07 PM EST reply actions
Can't fool me Brian,
You picked the Steelers hoping your curse will work. So did I :-)
Teach your children about the four seasons: preseason, regular season, postseason, and off-season
I kinda want Pittsburg to win...
I got 2 reasons.
1. They type of football the Steelers play is the type of football I wish the Bills play. Very physical, with a lot of attitude. Plus, the city is like Buffalo in many ways….
2. If the Cardinals actually do win….it almost makes our beloved Bills, lack of Lomabardi Trophies seem even worse somehow…I mean, come on…It’s the Cardnials!!
So, I go Pitt, our steel city breathren….
Pitt 31
Ariz 17
There is only one NFL football team that plays in New York state...and Canada?
Remember, the Cards were 9-7 for a reason
If any defense is going to make noise in this game, it’s going to be Pittsburgh’s.
Warner needs time in the pocket to thrive, and the Arizona ground game is not good enough to help keep the Steel Curtain honest for more than a couple of quarters.
Larry Fitzgerald – you’re great, man, but you’re one man, and this is the Steel Curtain you’re trying to puncture.
the most important stat is they are 3-0 in the playoffs
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Feb 1, 2009 6:02 PM EST up reply actions
I'm going with the Burgh...
I’m actually pissed that I didn’t go there for today, considering I lived there for about five years.
Harrison
I wish we had a player like him on our defense. Guy who can rush the QB … make plays … change games … scare QBs … but hey, we have Keith Ellison!
he was cut thrice...
any team could have had him
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Feb 1, 2009 9:21 PM EST up reply actions
Madden immortal? I hope not.
Ugh. His color commentary is awful. It’s repetitive, obvious, and boring. I would even prefer Dan Dierdorf. Al Michaels is the saving grace of the duo.
Sweet home Orchard Park.
I would even prefer Dan Dierdorf.
Whoa… that’s crazy talk. :)
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Feb 1, 2009 9:02 PM EST up reply actions
yeah so is that Holmes Kid
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Feb 1, 2009 10:16 PM EST up reply actions
I think that was the
two best clutch performances by QBs I’ve ever seen in a Super Bowl. If the Bills were one of those two teams I would have had a heart attack watching that. Great game.
Freakin’ Mike Gandy……..bad memories there.
We Bills were not completely shut out of this Super Bowl
I suspect former Bill Mike Gandy may have set a Bowl record for holding penalties.
I've been feeling Buffalo ill.
Obviously the play of the game was the Harrison interception. Billy Fucillo HUGE. And this is the part that interests me most. It was a quick slant over the middle where Warner did not see the coverage coming from the other side. A classic misuse of the slant. They should have thrown some kind of out pattern there. Kurt lived and died this day over the middle. Arizona’s inability to run hurt big. But what a game.
everything goes better with a BIG MACK
Pitt showed an all out blitz by putting 7-8 guys up on the line, and in that case the hot read is usually a quick slant. Dick LaBeau is just better than, well, pretty much everyone, and had Harrison drop into coverage.
Yeah it was a typical Pittsburgh zone blitz....
nothing fancy.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Feb 2, 2009 10:20 AM EST up reply actions
Can someone explain why they didn’t review that last play? Sure looked like to my friends and I that Warner had control of that ball until he released it with his arm moving forward. How can they not even look at that?
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
That non-review will be talked about. Also, I still think Holmes didn’t have his right foot down. It looked to be resting on top of the left one. The refs really blew this game up in ways.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 1, 2009 11:57 PM EST up reply actions
He got it down
They only showed the correct replay once. The one from the other endzone, field level. It showed the toes on his right foot hitting the ground, albeit briefly.
Freakin’ Steelers. I hate watching these teams have continued success…
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
I think he clearly didn't have control of the ball while his arm was moving forward.
Agree to disagree.
BTW – Big Ben’s knee didn’t hit the ground I don’t think but it is illegal to carry a guy into the end zone so I can live with that call.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Feb 2, 2009 10:21 AM EST up reply actions
i am
irate they didn’t review that last play! So rigged. Steelers got gifts in their last 2 super bowls from the refs. They get every call in these games. The defensive holdings on AZ and BS late hit on Big Ben was just awful. I hate seeing these games won with controversy. I wanted to see a jump ball with Fitzgerald on a Hail Mary to end the game. That would have been fitting.
The last play of the 1st half though was THE play in that game. That’s at minumum a 10 pt swing in Pitt’s favor.
MARVelous
You also have to fault the Cards for NOT getting Fitz involved until late in the game. They didn’t play “their” game fully.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 2, 2009 12:00 AM EST up reply actions
The refs sure looked biased today. Some really favorable calls for the Steelers…
I would have loved a Hail Mary attempt to Fitzgerald. He’s made that play before, and imagine how high he would have jumped at that point, with all the adrenaline. That could have been the greatest ending in sports history. Ahh well, it would have been unlikely anyhow.
I still don’t know why the Cards called a freakin’ quick slant on 1st and goal to end the first half. Just throw 3 jump balls to Fitzy if you have to. There’s no way the DB would have had a chance against that….
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
Against that D, if I was the coach, I play conservative and kick for 3, to go in tied. I mean, they were getting the ball to begin the 3rd and Pitt was having difficulty moving the ball. I like the Steelers because the emblimize everything I wish the Bills were. I was rooting for the Cards though because they have never tasted true success before this season.
Fitz is a monster; he’s the missing piece to 31 other team’s offenses – yes, even the Pats.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 2, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions
my bad:
“they emblemize”
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 2, 2009 12:12 AM EST up reply actions
Come on
The ball was knocked out and Warner’s hand/arm happened to push the ball forward as his throwing motion continued. He surely didn’t throw it, and I see why they didn’t need a review. They could have, but I think the result would have been the same.
The Bills CAN win every game
Furthermore, about the bad officiating:
For your reading pleasure…
I didn’t even realize they didn’t call a penalty on Santonio’s TD celebration.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 2, 2009 12:39 AM EST reply actions
They shouldn't have called a penalty on the TD
And how about the holding in the endzone for the safety? That culd have killed the steelers and was an iffy call and very well could have given the cards a win…it was an NFL game with penalties and they only helped dictate the game because guys like Gandy were doing dumb crap
The Bills CAN win every game
Well, they should have called a safety when forward progress was stopped the play before in the end zone.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 2, 2009 7:00 AM EST up reply actions
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