The Super Bowl XLII thread

[whacked]

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

Over/under on how long it takes before montecristo#4 starts telling us how the game was rigged by the league?

Originally Posted by Douglas

Most Pats fans I know have lost their humility and good sportsmanship. You, sir, have not.

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

I'm surprised that no Pats fan has shown up in this thread to claim that Eli was in the grasp right before his pass to Tyree and the refs missed the call because of the league-wide conspiracy against the Pats.

Been waiting forever since the Patriots demolished your favorite teams to get back, haven't y'all?

Asses.

 

[The Deacon]

I am a real fan and have bought my sons the Brady and Moss jerseys and they wore them throughout the game. My 7 year old slept in his! But I've got some common sense too! You should hear sports radio here in Boston(WEEI 2-5pm drive time). If you have a cogent dissenting perspective about anything related to the Patriots that in anyway compromises the stepford fan speak required by "The Big Show" hosts, you get shouted down or accused of heresy. Over the last few weeks the hosts have not respectfully entertained civil discussion regarding the possibility of a close game, let alone a Giants win. WHO HAVE THE PATS BLOWN OUT IN TWO MONTHS OR SO? So why was it heretical or anti-Patriot to think they wouldn't blow the Giants out. I can't wait to hear the children who host the afternoon show. I loved watching the Pats win the rings and am proud of our ownership and Brady/Moss/Welker/Seau/Bruschi/Brown/Gaffney and how these guys play the game. It would be nice to lose with some dignity, don't be happy about it but have some class Bill B. and Sports Radio (ExJock) Hosts.

 

[Saucemaster]

Originally Posted by Thomas

It wasn't working for her either.

Notwithstanding my conviction that there are no saints in professional sports (Excepting my beloved Spurs), I wanted to see the Pats win for Junior Seau and for Randy Moss in particular who seems to have really cleaned up his act for this team. Belichick and Brady, well, they've got enough rings now and I won't shed a tear for them. Then there's that perfect season thing.

On the other side of the coin I am glad for Coughlin and Manning.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you that there are no saints in professional anything, I just don't find unsubstantiated allegations against "everyone else" to be very moving as a defense, even if I agree that the allegations are entirely plausible (hell, even likely).

On the flip side of the coin, for someone who's been rooting for the Patriots to lose since probably week 5 or 6 of this season, I was surprisingly conflicted once the game ended. I felt happy for the Giants, but I didn't expect to empathize with the Pats as much as I did. That's a hell of a gut shot to take, being on the cusp of a perfect season as the overwhelming favorite, only to end up falling short to a team that no one ever took quite seriously enough. I agree on Seau--would have been nice for him. Though Strahan is a hilarious guy, and it was nice to see him get his.

Originally Posted by whacked

Been waiting forever since the Patriots demolished your favorite teams to get back, haven't y'all?

Asses.

The Giants comprehensively demolished my favorite team in fairly spectacular fashion during the regular season (you might remember Umenyiora registering six sacks ALL BY HIMSELF in the first game against the Eagles). They beat us much worse than the Patriots did. AND they're division rivals. Yet I'm still happy for them.

Personally, I've just been waiting forever just to rub it in a few smug Pats fans' faces.

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

Very exciting game. Really surprised the QB protection around Brady was so poor. The Pats had to figure it was coming.

Thing is, it's not like the Giants were sending crazy six- or seven-man blitzes at Brady's protection from strange angles, doing a lot of stunting, etc. For most of the game, they were just sending four or five guys. It's not that the Patriots couldn't see it was coming, it's just that the Giants' big men flat out BEAT the Patriots' O-line. I agree, though, I was surprised, too. The Pats have had one of the best (maybe the best?) O-lines in the league for the entire season. Maybe they were just exhausted?

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

Thing is, it's not like the Giants were sending crazy six- or seven-man blitzes at Brady's protection from strange angles, doing a lot of stunting, etc. For most of the game, they were just sending four or five guys. It's not that the Patriots couldn't see it was coming, it's just that the Giants' big men flat out BEAT the Patriots' O-line. I agree, though, I was surprised, too. The Pats have had one of the best (maybe the best?) O-lines in the league for the entire season. Maybe they were just exhausted?

When you've got Straham and Umenyiora requiring double teams all game every game, you don't need to send 6 or 7 man blitzes. I couldn't believe how many times Brady got hit. The very first play for the Pats offense set the tone for the entire game. O line was horrendous.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you that there are no saints in professional anything, I just don't find unsubstantiated allegations against "everyone else" to be very moving as a defense, even if I agree that the allegations are entirely plausible (hell, even likely).

On the flip side of the coin, for someone who's been rooting for the Patriots to lose since probably week 5 or 6 of this season, I was surprisingly conflicted once the game ended. I felt happy for the Giants, but I didn't expect to empathize with the Pats as much as I did. That's a hell of a gut shot to take, being on the cusp of a perfect season as the overwhelming favorite, only to end up falling short to a team that no one ever took quite seriously enough. I agree on Seau--would have been nice for him. Though Strahan is a hilarious guy, and it was nice to see him get his.
(...)

I was happy for Strahan and especially Plaxico. Wasn't it Plaxico who had all the questions about his heart and work ethic coming out of Michigan state? Nice to see redemption for him, although I'm curious whether he was with Pittsburgh when they won. Given his reaction, this one really meant something to him. Hell, it meant something to all the Giants, which is more than I could say about most of the Pats.

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

Thing is, it's not like the Giants were sending crazy six- or seven-man blitzes at Brady's protection from strange angles, doing a lot of stunting, etc. For most of the game, they were just sending four or five guys. It's not that the Patriots couldn't see it was coming, it's just that the Giants' big men flat out BEAT the Patriots' O-line. I agree, though, I was surprised, too. The Pats have had one of the best (maybe the best?) O-lines in the league for the entire season. Maybe they were just exhausted?

They constantly moved Justin Tuck around to exploit matchups and used just enough blitz disguise to confuse the Pats. Didn't hurt that pretty much the whole line were playing out of their minds either.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

When you've got Straham and Umenyiora requiring double teams all game every game, you don't need to send 6 or 7 man blitzes. I couldn't believe how many times Brady got hit. The very first play for the Pats offense set the tone for the entire game. O line was horrendous.

That didn't work the first time. People now forgot that the Pats' O line was absolutely stacked, with 1 first team and 2 second team All Pros.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by whacked

That didn't work the first time. People now forgot that the Pats' O line was absolutely stacked, with 1 first team and 2 second team All Pros.

It doesn't matter if they were "absolutely stacked" because they were horrendous in the Superbowl. I could care less if they all are going to the Probowl or not because yesterday they got raped play after play.

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

It doesn't matter if they were "absolutely stacked" because they were horrendous in the Superbowl. I could care less if they all are going to the Probowl or not because yesterday they got raped play after play.

Good for you. Just pointing out that your "analysis" of Strahan and Umenyiora making an unstoppable D line does not cut it.

 

[kwilkinson]

I never asserted that Straham and Umenyiora alone made an unstoppable D line. I said that with those two guys getting double teamed you didn't need to send 6 or 7 guys. 2 men does not a defensive line make.

 

[JBZ]

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

On the flip side of the coin, for someone who's been rooting for the Patriots to lose since probably week 5 or 6 of this season, I was surprisingly conflicted once the game ended. I felt happy for the Giants, but I didn't expect to empathize with the Pats as much as I did. That's a hell of a gut shot to take, being on the cusp of a perfect season as the overwhelming favorite, only to end up falling short to a team that no one ever took quite seriously enough. I agree on Seau--would have been nice for him. Though Strahan is a hilarious guy, and it was nice to see him get his.

This sums up how I felt as well. I'm a Dolphins fan, so I was rooting against the Pats (more so because they're an AFC East rival than because of the perfect season - I think the '72 Dolphins take themselves way too seriously). I felt particularly bad for Seau. As somone who cheered for Dan Marino for years and years, I always feel bad when I see a guy who's played at a hall of fame quality level for years and never win a championship. Assuming he never does, Seau certainly qualifies for that category. Seems like a classy guy, too.

 

[life_interrupts]

Originally Posted by Brian278

I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. Signed, Trent Dilfer.
LOL! Actually, Bradshaw had some of the crappiest numbers of a starting QB in numerous Super Bowls. Eli has grown into a better than average QB boys, just accept it. We're at the end of year 4, the point where most young QBs start to really get it. He gets it now. He'll never be Peyton or Brady, but he'll probably be pretty good for some years to come.

 

[mrpologuy]

The refs wanted the Giants to win and they did. The Pats got screwed.

 

[life_interrupts]

Originally Posted by quevola

It's all giselle bundchen fault

Yep! this is small and petty, but will anyone excoriate Brady for hanging out away from the team before the Big Game, the way the media did with Romo? Probably not.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by mrpologuy

The refs wanted the Giants to win and they did. The Pats got screwed.

Oh, please. Show me one call that the refs gave to the Giants that wasn't legal or didn't happen.

If anything, the refs didn't call **** in either direction.

 

[countdemoney]

I love a lot of the Patriots players like Seau, Bruschi and Brady. Bruschi, IMO is one of the greatest linebackers to ever play the game.

I respect Bellicheck immensely, but the cheating deserved a tougher penalty than it received, so I was glad to see them lose.

I'll be very curious as to what they do next year with their defense. All their best defensive players are aging (Bruschi, Seymour, Vrabel, Harrison) and I think that you seriously need to consider blowing up the defensive side of the ball. I don't know if Bellicheck has the patience for reteaching his scheme to a new generation.

And speaking of which - where was the patriots d-line? Vrabel is normally a beast in these kinds of games as is seymour.