March to Sea: Super Bowl Ramblings

And so ends another National Football League season, with another surprise championship team emerging victorious at the year's conclusion, the Baltimore Ravens. Just a few Super Bowl afterthoughts before we finally put SB XXXV to pasture…

• The game was terrible.

• That said, once again, the NFL has triumphed over its professional sporting league counterparts as the most exciting, cohesive organization in America. Who predicted Ravens vs. Giants during pre-season? Only Miss Cleo from the Psychic Network could have had the ability to forecast that bizarre match-up (ain't that right, babe!). While the NFL continues to have great turnover among its teams, creating a sense of universal optimism (sorry, Ohio not included), Major League Baseball prevents all but about eight teams from competing for a World Series due to a lack of revenue sharing and no salary cap. The National Basketball Association boasts a terrible, day-in and day-out product and the National Hockey League has wallowed in mediocrity for at least ten years. The NFL, with its short, 16 game season, continues to lead the way in attendance, TV ratings, and general, nationwide fan interest.

• What are the chances that the three most deserving candidates for MVP in the Super Bowl would all have the last name Lewis? 1) Ray Lewis, 2) Jamal Lewis, 3) Jermaine Lewis.

• Everyone knows about Ray Lewis' problems with the law and his vehement rebuttals to allegations of his involvement in the murder of two men last year (though Lewis did plead guilty to obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor). But, now, Lewis has gone one step further. After winning the Super Bowl and being named MVP, He Is Not Going To Disney World. What is this world coming to? Trent Dilfer will be at the Magic Kingdom in his place.

• Speaking of Lewis, during Media Week before the Super Bowl, three men offered their assertions of Lewis' innocence. Ray Lewis' biggest supporter was, well, Ray Lewis. However, teammate Shannon Sharpe and head coach Brian Billick also issued statements defending the Pro Bowl linebacker. Of course, Sharpe, widely known as the league's biggest trash-talker, has diarrhea of the mouth and says anything that pops into his mind without discretion. Billick was caught by a CBS camera pumping his fist and yelling, "Yeah! [Expletive] you!" after a Ravens touchdown at Tennessee in the AFC Championship Game. The coach did not appear to be addressing anyone in particular with his exclamation. Later in the game, however, Billick taunted the Nashville crowd, facing the fans with his arms raised in victory. At least Lewis has some quality friends…

• Kudos to Kerry Collins. After perhaps the worst performance by a quarterback in Super Bowl history, at least he made the right comment. "In the biggest game of the year, on the biggest stage there is, I sucked," Collins said.

• Sting brought his A-game to the Big Show's pre-game performance. His voice sounds exactly the same as The Police recordings twenty years ago.

• There were a few quality commercials, but my favorite was the E-Trade one with the chimp crying over the death of the dot-coms. The other E-Trade commercial with the dreaming security guard was also excellent. The Budweiser take-off of its own 'wassup' commercials ('what are you doing?') was cute, as was the Bud Light commercial of the guy who spills the beer on his girlfriend after dancing in the kitchen. The running of the squirrels and the Levi's donor jeans get unusually low marks, as do (as usual) all of Pepsi's attempts at humor. No wonder I drink Coke.

• If Keith Hamilton's second-quarter 43-yard interception return for a touchdown had not been called back because of a defensive holding penalty, the game's outcome may have been completely different.

• Finally, as another season comes to an end, it is time to make predictions for next year. With a higher draft pick than usual, look for the Jacksonville Jaguars to rise to the top of the AFC. Mark Brunell's Jags will square off against Kurt Warner's Rams in a return to offense. And for the all the pundits out there, remember this: I get my information from Miss Cleo.