by Paul Semendinger
February 8, 2021
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Super Sunday is a fun day. There is something special about the Super Bowl. I am not a big football fan, but I enjoy the big games. Just the games though, I don’t watch the pregame hype and all of that. I couldn’t care less about that stuff, but the big game, the Super Bowl itself, yeah, I’m all in.
The following were my thoughts as I watched the Super Bowl yesterday:
The vast majority of my best sports memories come from baseball, primarily the Yankees, of course. (Maybe one day I’ll write about the other teams that captured my interest as a kid – the 1979 Pirates (Dave Parker!), the 1980 Phillies (Tug McGraw!), and maybe a few others.) But, outside of the Yankees memories (and some moments with the other teams), my absolute favorite game I ever watched, in real time and inflated through decades of memories, was the Super Bowl in 1983 when John Riggins carried the Washington Redskins over the Miami Dolphins. I love reliving that game, watching the clips… I don’t know why I thought John Riggins was the best, why he became my favorite player, ever, but he did and it was so much fun.
Our first favorite players will always be the best, and Riggins will always be the best for me.
Do you remember that a very popular TV show premiered right after that Super Bowl? I remember being just as excited for that show… It was so good. That show was the A-Team. Yeah, Mr. T was also very cool. I was glad I could root for him because I didn’t when he was Clubber Lang trying to beat up Rocky.
I wouldn’t want the World Series to be just one game, but football gets the excitement bonus for their whole event being just one game. Game Sevens of the World Series just don’t get this much excitement. That’s too bad.
Maybe they should call the World Series the Super Series. The World Series is a great name, but it’s not really a “world” series. And “super” adds so much to any title. “Super Sized.” “Super Priced.” “Super Star.”
Superman!
I don’t want baseball to change the name of the World Series, but Super Bowl easily wins in the contest of names. You can’t compete with a super game.
I am rooting for the Buccaneers today. I am with Tom Brady all the way. All the way. He is the greatest of all time and it’s a joy to see the greatest players play. I love seeing greatness. I love when great players are great and when great teams are great.
I always want the greatest players on the Yankees and for the Yankees to win every Super World Series. My frustrations come when I perceive that I care more about the Yankees winning than they do.
Patrick Mahomes does have a chance, though, to be the greatest ever. If that happens someday, people will look back on this game with special fondness. If the Chiefs win and such, it could be the passing of the baton from one great player to the next one. That would be pretty cool…
By the way, I love this commercial.
In the first half of the game, the old guys, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski connected for two touchdowns. This gave me two thoughts… (1) Maybe the old Yankee, Brett Gardner, can come back and add to the 2021 team. He would give the Yankees a few things they need – a lefty bat and speed. (2) I have been concerned about D.J. LeMahieu’s age in 2022 and beyond. Maybe he’ll be another Tom Brady and just never get old. (The Yankees need for that to happen.)
Patrick Mahomes throws from a sidearm angle quite often. It’s interesting in two sports how the guy who throws the ball (the pitcher or quarterback) can be effective when he changes his arm angle. It throws the defense (or batter) off. One small thing can make a big difference. David Cone used to use different arm angles very effectively.
I loved seeing Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed) in a cameo in a commercial.
I was surprised to see the game so one-sided. The Buccaneers were really in control for most of the game. There was a lot of sloppy defense played by the Chiefs. There were far too many penalties.
I am glad baseball doesn’t have penalties. They take the wind out of the moments. “Interception!” “Nope, sorry, it’s being called back.”
With all the former Patriots on the Buccaneers, all champions, it kind of reminds me of when the Yankees had all the great Oakland A’s (Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman). I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but I wish the Yankees had been able to get Vida Blue.
The Seventh Inning Stretch is greater than Halftime.
The commercials in the game this year, for the most part, were uninspired.
The second half was a coronation for Tom Brady. He is dwarfing NFL records in the way that Babe Ruth did. 10 Super Bowls. 7 wins. Absolutely amazing. No other player comes close. The fact that he did this with a new franchise at 43-years-old speaks to his greatness. Amazing.
Hey Major League Baseball, a 6:30 p.m. start time works just fine. I actually enjoyed the game and got to bed at a decent hour. Imagine that, I was sleeping by 10:30 p.m. In a World Series game, 10:30 p.m. comes and it’s still only the third inning.
I predicted that the Yankees would make a big move by Valentine’s Day. Oh no, my prediction is running out of time.
The best news of all… BASEBALL IS NOW ON DECK!!!
Let’s Go Yankees!
