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Murphy Martin Commentary
February 9, 2006

 "Super Bowl Wasn't So Super"

The advance billing was as expected. The two teams left standing--Seattle and Pittsburgh--surrounded by stars from the past, music to fit all tastes, celebrities from all walks of life, played in the indoor comforts of home while the snow was falling outside, Detroit city was ready. Motown was ready. The hype had it all---the Tuesday press conference where many hundreds of reporters would pounce on each member of both team squads trying to get that one little nugget of information no one else had.
Yes the stage was set for Super Bowl XL. But it turned out to be a dud when compared to SB games of the past.

Oh, it was the highest rated SB game since 2000, but it was far short---almost 5-million viewers less than the Dallas Cowboys and the Steelers drew in Super Bowl XXX.

Not only did the Seahawks and Steelers play way below the level that got them Super status, almost everything else surrounding the event was sub-par too.

Beginning with the National Anthem. Aretha Franklin is a great singer but when forced to share time with Aaron Neville and a 150-voice choir in an over-produced rendition
of our Anthem----she did not do herself proud. NFL Executives--in the future--would do well to just have a meaningful rendition of our nation's song--simple, pure musical delivery without someone trying to use four or five vibrato tones on each word sung.

Once again--apparently trying to gain younger followers--the league diminished Stevie Wonder's talents by surrounding him with too many other artists with snippets of music that looked and sounded more confusing than entertaining in the pre-game package. And the halftime performance by the Rolling Stones! Mick Jagger may have done more running around that giant stage than Shaun Alexander did for Seattle. The Stones work hard but what is the NFL trying to prove with it's massive halftime presentations? Give us a break. Football is the centerpiece.

If you want a Rock Concert, put if after the game and all the fans that want to see it can do so. But keep the focus on your main product--championship NFL football.

Super Bowl XL was sub-par also because Officiating was very questionable at times. Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren said when he was back in Seattle: "We didn't know we were going to have to beat the guys in the striped shirts too!"

Bill Leavy, the former police officer and fireman, who was the Referee, spent a lot of time under the Replay Hood looking at challenged calls. Dependent on
whom you were rooting for, various spots in the game raised the blood pressure of the fans. Bob Waggoner, the Back Judge, who was slow in tossing a flag that nullified
a Seattle touchdown! Was it a ticky-tack call? Seattle fans thought so.

Dependent on the camera angle, there was a question about whether Ben Roethlsberger did or did not break the plane of the goal line for a Steeler touchdown. Leavy's review of the play said the Head Linesman's call that it was a TD was correct. And so it went. Some people even questioned some coaching decisions on the field. So what else is new. Sports reporters have been making a living doing that for a long time. Many reporters think they know more about the players and the game than do the coaches. But without all the questioning, what would they have to write about--only the game as played. There would be no fodder for all the talk shows .

But this was a SUPER Bowl not just another game. This is the place people go to see and be seen because it is special. Corporations spend millions getting special customers to the SUPER Bowl. Countless other firms spend two-and-one-half-million-dollars for television spots. Just 30-seconds of television time. Even the commercials seemed below par this year!

Not everything was below par though. Perhaps ABC-TV could have provided better production from their more than thirty-cameras used to cover the game but we doubt they could have improved on the anchors calling the game--Al Michaels and John Madden. It was the last game these two will work together----unless Michaels changes his mind and goes to NBC-TV next year where Madden is already committed. Michaels has signed with ESPN for Monday Night Football, but there are growing rumors he may pass up that job and go to NBC.

And lest we forget---That wonderful stroll down memory lane afforded by the introduction of all the Most Valuable players from Super Bowls past---what a treat. It's a shame they were all there except Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Jake Scott. Rumors had it that Montana wanted more money than the NFL paid those who came. Montana said that was wrong he just wanted to be home to watch his sons play ball. Bradshaw said he preferred to watch the game at home with family and Scott was reportedly hosting a Super Bowl party in Hawaii. It also would have been nice if they would have mentioned the late great Cowboy Harvey Martin was C0-MVP with Randy White in Super Bowl XII.

Six more former NFL greats were chosen the day before Super Bowl XL to enter the Hall of Fame in Canton next August. Troy Aikman and Rayfield Wright were chosen from the Cowboys along with John Madden, Warren Moon, Harry Carson and Reggie White.

The Steeler victory in Detroit gave them five Super Bowl wins---the same as the Cowboys----and next year the NFL will do it all over again and some old geezer like me will probably wonder why Super Bowl Forty-One is not as SUPER as it should be!


Murphy Martin

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