Super Bowl LVIII

  There seemed to be more hype and buildup for Super Bowl LVIII than just the regular overblown coverage. Maybe that is the nature of the beast, but I wonder how much viewers really care—or is it a way for the networks to cash in big time with so many commercials which are new? 

And if that isn’t enough, there is the betting aspect. Whether it has been through regular commercials or associated with the game, there are tons of betting opportunities called prop bets. You can bet on what dish Taylor Swift is going to eat first in her suite. Or the over/under in yardage gained after the catch for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. This is the biggest day of the year for the gamblers, and there is no better place for a game which emphasizes betting than to be in the betting capital of the world, Las Vegas. (For the record, Vegas took a bath with the 9-1 odds on the game ending in overtime)

I am a purist to a degree. While I can enjoy gambling occasionally, it is not my kind of addiction. Watching the games themselves is all this guy needs to feel good. Gambling would make me insane, watching the points being scored while rooting for the oddsmaker’s favorite. It is far more enjoyable to see Steph Curry drain a ridiculous three point shot like he did with 2.7 seconds left versus Phoenix on Saturday night than to worry if the Warriors covered the point spread. 

Mercifully, I limited my TV watching to part of a retrospective on The NFL Today, which included having Brent Musberger, the face most associated with the program, and Jayne Kennedy, he first black woman to host this kind of studio show. Otherwise, I watched Caitlin Clark get shut out in the fourth quarter in her quest to become the leading scorer in Division I Women’s history, with Nebraska overcoming a deep deficit to send the #2 Hawkeyes to a crushing defeat. 

Before the game really began, I actually traveled to Denville, New Jersey to pick up Chinese food from my favorite place. I guess this showed where my mindset was. It didn’t help that there was an accident on Interstate 287 which slowed things down, nor was I happy that the restaurant ran out of one essential ingredient and the order had to be changed. 

Perhaps that was a harbinger of things to come. Nothing was going to be ordinary regarding the day, especially the Super Bowl.

It is not for me to recap each part of the game. Unless you live under a rock, which isn’t likely because you are reading this blog, you know the outcome of the game. Final score: Kansas City 25 San Francisco 22 in overtime. 

Instead, this was a game determined by ebbs and flows of emotion and expertise. Plus some luck. 

If the game was only three quarters long, then the Niners would be World Champions. San Francisco was the better team for much of the game. 

But the Kansas City Chiefs were defending champions for a reason—resiliency. Along with some really terrific football players who executed on the field. And a coaching staff which countered any moves from their opponents. 

Look, Brock Purdy did a most capable job playing in his first Super Bowl. The kid drafted last in his class, “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final draftee is called, is a solid quarterback. He managed the game well and actually put the Niners in a position to win the game in regulation. Moreover, he led the team to a field goal in the overtime period and asked his defense to make one more stop.

The Niners defense put plenty of pressure on Patrick Mahomes II at the start of the game. So much so that when Mahomes threw an interception, that broke a long streak of clean attempts in the playoffs. 

With the San Francisco offense operating in rhythm, fueled by the running of Christian Mc Caffrey and the accurate throws from Purdy, the game could have easily remained in the dominating grasp of SF. With the time of possession favoring the Niners, it was nearly miraculous that the Chiefs managed to stay within hailing distance at 10-3 with a late second quarter field goal. 

The game featured turnovers. Both teams had their share. For much of the game, it was really the kickers who prevailed. San Francisco’s Jake Moody broke a Super Bowl record with a 54 yard boot, only to be topped by Kansas City’s Harrison Butker later kicking a 57 yard field goal. 

Yet the singular play which changed the complexion of the game came upon an extra point. Kansas City managed to block the kick, which made the differential three points instead of four. This would later allow Butker to kick the game tying field goal with under ten seconds left in regulation to force OT. 

There has been much criticism about San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan opting to take the ball after winning the overtime coin toss. Some of his players said there was little if any discussion about the new rules for overtime which gives both teams a shot at the ball, even if the first team scores a touchdown. 

While KC players said they were familiar with the rules, in the end, it came down to what happened on the field. The Niners went deep into KC territory but their drive stalled. Faced with a 4th and 4, Shanahan fatefully sent the field goal unit onto the field where the resulting three points put the pressure squarely on the Chiefs. 

And that is where Mahomes, Kelce and the KC offense shined. Marching 75 yards downfield, Mahomes connected with a wide open Marcus Hardman (you recall him, Jets fans, and how the team misused him before sending him back to KC where he is once more a Super Bowl champion) and the celebrations began. 

Remember that the game wasn’t won just on this play. San Francisco had dominated play early on yet allowed the game to be a one score battle at the half. 

To me, what won the game was the moxie of the Chiefs. Defensive star Chris Jones held an impromptu meeting of the defensive players, exhorting his teammates to step it up. Which they did, executing the brilliant defensive strategies of Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnola. That turned the tide for Kansas City, along with a little luck when a punt struck a San Francisco players foot and the Chiefs recovered. 

Sure, the Niners scored on the Chiefs, including the trick play double pass which resulted in a touchdown. But when it came to crunch time, the KC defense was superb, giving Mahomes and the offense the chance to win the game. 

Mahomes reminds me of Steph Curry. Two very flashy and exciting players who know what the bright lights mean and can win championships when given the opportunity. This kind of DNA is hard to find. The parallels are this—both had fathers who played professional ball at the highest levels with success—Curry’s dad in the NBA and Mahomes’ father played baseball. Being around professional athletes at such a young age is a tremendous learning experience; it doesn’t hurt to be gifted with extraordinary talent too. 

Let’s shelve the talk about whether Mahomes is the greatest QB in NFL history. He’s young and he has produced better than anyone preceding him. We have to compare him to the bodies of work of Joe Montana and Tom Brady. It is simply too early to do that. 

As for talk of the Kansas City dynasty—that is fact. They are among a rare group of teams that are repeat Super Bowl champions. 

The talk of a there-peat is natural, although the odds are against that. Recall that KC was fortunate to navigate the land mines of games at Buffalo and Baltimore this season and get to the Big Game. 

For now, fans, like me, should savor one of the best games of Super Bowl history, watched by more people for a sporting event period (Thank you, Swifties, for your participation). This audience was surpassed only by the moon landing—which was the ultimate in sports TV.

That’s it. Super Bowl LVIII.