Everybody else is watching the Super Bowl.....

I do not have the cable hookup to watch it (or an Antenna strong enough to get it)

I had been hoping that perhaps RFC was not a fan of the NFL at all - and that therefore to get away from the distraction of all that coverage on TV he would spend a bit of time posting snippets for us poor benighted souls in the UK and elsewhere who aren't at all interested in Pats or anyone else!

I watched on my computer as NBC was kind enough to stream it. Working on a writing assignment while surfing and watching. Saw the last two minutes though....
Now understand I could easily root for either team. I lived in East Boston for two and half years (my first child was actually born there and lives there now with her husband) and I was stationed up in the Pacific Northwest for three years way back when I was in the Air Force. Fact is, that while I could swing either way, I was really cheering for Seattle. And when I saw that last play.. I was so angry at that boneheaded decision to run a pass play at that moment I almost hurled my (relatively expensive) laptop right through the window. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! That hurt.
Fortunately I didn't yield to the impulse. I finished my writing assignment, checked my favorite web comics and went to bed. As a result I still have a laptop to catch the next snippet on and can keep all things in perspective. OOOmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid offensive coordinator! Ooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid coaches, stupid quarterback! OOOOOmmmmmmmy God what the blue blazes were you thinking you .............!

Superbowl...
Isn't that where they play that knock-off of Rugby? How do they run with all that padding and the helmets that block their vision?

Football - A Gentleman's game played by thugs.
Rugby - A Thug's game played by gentlemen.

Larry wrote:I watched on my computer as NBC was kind enough to stream it. Working on a writing assignment while surfing and watching. Saw the last two minutes though....
Now understand I could easily root for either team. I lived in East Boston for two and half years (my first child was actually born there and lives there now with her husband) and I was stationed up in the Pacific Northwest for three years way back when I was in the Air Force. Fact is, that while I could swing either way, I was really cheering for Seattle. And when I saw that last play.. I was so angry at that boneheaded decision to run a pass play at that moment I almost hurled my (relatively expensive) laptop right through the window. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! That hurt.
Fortunately I didn't yield to the impulse. I finished my writing assignment, checked my favorite web comics and went to bed. As a result I still have a laptop to catch the next snippet on and can keep all things in perspective. OOOmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid offensive coordinator! Ooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid coaches, stupid quarterback! OOOOOmmmmmmmy God what the blue blazes were you thinking you .............!

Yeah, the team looks like they have it in the bag, then the offensive coordinator decides to move away from what's working, and then a player makes a mistake, and ... Oh, wait, I was thinking of the Packers. Now what was that team they were playing ....

DennisLee wrote:

Larry wrote:I watched on my computer as NBC was kind enough to stream it. Working on a writing assignment while surfing and watching. Saw the last two minutes though....
Now understand I could easily root for either team. I lived in East Boston for two and half years (my first child was actually born there and lives there now with her husband) and I was stationed up in the Pacific Northwest for three years way back when I was in the Air Force. Fact is, that while I could swing either way, I was really cheering for Seattle. And when I saw that last play.. I was so angry at that boneheaded decision to run a pass play at that moment I almost hurled my (relatively expensive) laptop right through the window. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! That hurt.
Fortunately I didn't yield to the impulse. I finished my writing assignment, checked my favorite web comics and went to bed. As a result I still have a laptop to catch the next snippet on and can keep all things in perspective. OOOmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid offensive coordinator! Ooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stupid coaches, stupid quarterback! OOOOOmmmmmmmy God what the blue blazes were you thinking you .............!

Yeah, the team looks like they have it in the bag, then the offensive coordinator decides to move away from what's working, and then a player makes a mistake, and ... Oh, wait, I was thinking of the Packers. Now what was that team they were playing ....

Hi Dennis and Larry,
Actually, if you'd had the chance to listen to Carroll's reasoning at the time and considered the situation; 1. timeouts, 2. run down the clock to keep the qb who'd just driven through your defense twice without a lot of trouble, off the field so he couldn't do it a third time;3. the patriots had the same 8 run defenders who'd stuffed Lynch all game and had 3 cornerbacks to cover your 3 wide receivers man-to-man; 4. the slant route they called is virtually impossible to stop for less than 2-3 yards; and 5. the defensive back they were running it against was an undrafted rookie, his plan was perfectly reasonable.
Carroll didn't know the Patriots had practiced against this exact same play and had scored.
The defensive backs had a good idea of what was going to happen and they played it PERFECTLY, which is the only way they would have stopped a touchdown.
I've come to believe sports writers/commentators are not journalists and rarely, if ever, go against what they've been told to say.
Several years ago, a New Orleans Saints cornerback made a similar play to intercept a Peyton Manning pass to Reggie Wayne in similar circumstances to clinch their Super Bowl win. The keywords are preparation, recognition and execution.
I'm glad you didn't throw your laptop through the window. After all, it is only a game.

I'm pretty sure RFC's a baseball fan....

EdThomas wrote:... if you'd had the chance to listen to Carroll's reasoning ... plan was perfectly reasonable...

Actually I was thinking of the Packers "perfectly reasonable" decision to play it safe and just run the ball into the line 3 times nearing the end of their game against the Seahawks instead of attacking like they had been the rest of the game.

The other part of the Seahawks loss that you didn't mention was that even after the interception, they still had a slight chance because with the position of the ball, Brady couldn't just take the hand off and kneel, because he would have been in the end zone, or at least that would have been true if one of the Seattle defense hadn't knocked one of the other defenders off balance so he fell across the line before the ball was snapped.

DennisLee wrote:

EdThomas wrote:... if you'd had the chance to listen to Carroll's reasoning ... plan was perfectly reasonable...

Actually I was thinking of the Packers "perfectly reasonable" decision to play it safe and just run the ball into the line 3 times nearing the end of their game against the Seahawks instead of attacking like they had been the rest of the game.

The other part of the Seahawks loss that you didn't mention was that even after the interception, they still had a slight chance because with the position of the ball, Brady couldn't just take the hand off and kneel, because he would have been in the end zone, or at least that would have been true if one of the Seattle defense hadn't knocked one of the other defenders off balance so he fell across the line before the ball was snapped.

Pretty much that: I figure it like this, it really shows at the heart, which team was Championship Caliber: You had one team, one play from loosing. No one would have blinked an eye if they caved, and let the other score (It might even have been a good idea as then you would have got the ball back with at least some time left on the clock). But they didn't, they played hard as ever, and caught the break due to still playing at a 100% and being ready for such a call. The other team, on the other hand... Collapsed. Stupid Penalty that cost them a chance to get a safety and get the ball back, and then, the next play, totally lost it and started throwing punches.


Yeah.

DennisLee wrote:
Actually I was thinking of the Packers "perfectly reasonable" decision to play it safe and just run the ball into the line 3 times nearing the end of their game against the Seahawks instead of attacking like they had been the rest of the game.

The other part of the Seahawks loss that you didn't mention was that even after the interception, they still had a slight chance because with the position of the ball, Brady couldn't just take the hand off and kneel, because he would have been in the end zone, or at least that would have been true if one of the Seattle defense hadn't knocked one of the other defenders off balance so he fell across the line before the ball was snapped.

Packers - I've never been a believer in the 3 dives into the line or the going into the total prevent defense. That said, I've never seen any numbers on the effectiveness of either approach. Wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of nnumber-crunching be done on that this offseason.
Seahawks - Good point. A positive for the Patriots here though was Brady as a "sneaker". He's done it a lot and he's a pretty big guy, 6'4" 220/230.
The penalty was sad. It detracted so much from the level of play at that time by both teams. That was a beautiful game. Neither team quit. THey played hard and well for 60 minutes. One thing I'd like to see the "analysts" bring out is the job the other Pat defensive back (Browner) did on his man. Browner had the guy on the line and Butler had the receiver behind him. The up guy's job was to screen/pick Butler from making a play. Browner prevented him from doing that thereby giving Butler a free path to the interception. For me, that was a beautifully executed play. I love to see running plays where a guard or tackle pulls through a hole and seals off inside inside defenders. I love to watch good womens basketball cuz they move and pass and play together so well.
IMHO,I think you're too hard on Seattle. They didn't lose this game, the Patriots won it.This was truly a game where it was too bad that someone had to lose.
Maybe we'll get a snippet tonight!