So it looks like my predictions for the Super Bowl were WAY off. It was a surprisingly good game, although I would’ve liked a different outcome. And it should’ve been a different outcome… the Panthers lost the game more than the Patriots won it. So many mistakes in the 4th quarter:
1) Going for 2 points with 12 minutes to play.
2) Going for 2 points again.
3) Calling a time-out when they got down to the 15 yard line with 1:07 left.
4) Not calling a running play to eat up some time.
5) Booting the kickoff out of bounds.
If they had simply kicked extra points every time, they would’ve been up 31-28 (NE would not have tried a 2-pointer either), so the field goal would’ve sent the game into overtime instead of sending the Panthers home as runner-ups. And how could they possibly give the Pats so much time? Did they learn nothing from Super Bowl XXXVI? Very frustrating.
Other notes from watching the game:
- Who didn't know that Vinatieri would miss the first field goal when they showed the graphic saying that his only 2 misses indoors took place at Reliant Stadium?
- The commercials were AWFUL. Truth had 2 of my favorite ads… how sad is that?
- I didn’t know that Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer played for the Panthers (#86, Kris Mangum)
- How pretentious of Pepsi to try to take credit for Hendrix’s career. What’s next, a commercial where Christopher Columbus asks for permission to find a faster passage to India for better access to Pepsi? (Interesting to note that had Hendrix picked the accordion, he would most likely still be alive today… although would anybody know who he is? Makes you think…)
- The Halftime show was also AWFUL. I told my friend Matt that if the stage had blown up, it would’ve eliminated 3 of my top-10 Least-Favorite People Alive (P. Diddy, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake). And my ass they didn’t plan to have Janet’s boob hanging out.
- As the second half was beginning, Phil Simms made this genius comment: “Don’t forget that historically, lots of stuff happens in the 2nd half.” (approximate quote) I don’t know that I’d say a lot… more like half the stuff happens in the 2nd half. Thanks for that brilliant analysis.
It’ll be a long 7 months until the start of next season.

I saw Monster over the weekend and liked it a lot. Charlize Theron really does give an incredible performance, although I think it had been built up a bit too much. One thing I found odd was that it seems that in South Florida in the 1980s, every car on every street was not actually driving anywhere, but was in fact trolling for hookers. I grew up in South Florida in the 80s and never noticed this phenomenon... and it makes me wonder my dad actually was going out to "go bowling with the guys" on Wednesday nights...
It's also interesting how prostitute movies have evolved over the past 15 years. Monster and Pretty Woman would be much different films if you swapped the lead characters. Monster would make more sense if Christina Ricci's character kept telling Julia Roberts' Vivian how pretty her face was... although having Aileen Wuornos in Pretty Woman would have had a hilarious effect on one scene in particular:
(walks up to snooty saleswoman)
"Hi... remember me? I was in here yesterday and you wouldn't wait on me. "
(pulls out gun)
"Big mistake."
(shoots saleswoman in the stomach)
"Huge!"
(fires several more bullets into saleswoman's chest, the calmly walks away)