I can’t help but feel like the Seattle Seahawks snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Yes, they were trailing 28-24 to the New England Patriots at the end of the game, but with four downs and a yard to go, it seemed like a sure thing to complete a late-game upset for a championship repeat in the dying seconds.
Then, the most mystifying play unfolded.
Instead of handing the ball to, you know, one of the best running backs in the game, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, acting on orders from head coach Pete Carroll, threw the ball.
It was a history-making play for all the wrong reasons, as Pats cornerback Malcolm Butler got inside his man and intercepted the pass, which all but ended the game.
A camera was trained on Richard “I’m the best corner in the game” Sherman during the play and if you look hard enough, you can see the exact moment where his heart breaks.
After the game, Carroll tried to defend the play, saying he was too focused on trying to confuse the Pats defence.
I’m still wondering if someone handed Wilson a deflated football.
However, it was still an entertaining game right down to the last second. That Jermaine Kearse catch will go down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history. I had flashbacks of David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, and laughed because the New York Giants went on to upset the Patriots, who had gone undefeated all season.
But thanks to Butler’s interception, the Pats captured their fourth NFL title in 14 years, with New England QB Tom Brady earning his third MVP honours, which puts him in the conversation as one of the greatest of all time.
However, more than just a football game, the Super Bowl is a spectacle, and the half-time show with headliner Katy Perry certainly delivered. I haven’t figured out what surprised me more: the dancing “Left Shark” that is now viral on the Internet, or the sudden reappearance of Missy Elliott in the middle of the show.
Speaking of spectacles, on Monday, the Los Angeles Kings headed to the White House to be feted by American President Barack Obama for their second NHL championship in three years.
Obama greeted the Kings in the East Room of the White House and hailed their ability to win championships as a traditional winter sport in a decidedly un-wintery climate.
Sutter presented Obama with an engraved silver hockey stick, which, I’m told, should help him stickhandle through a Republican-held Congress.
While the Kings were showing off their championship ring at the White House, a young Texas boy was suspended for bringing the “One Ring” to school.
Yep, inspired by the object of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation in Lord of the Rings, a nine-year-old boy recently earned his suspension after telling his friend that he could make him vanish with Lord Sauron’s jewelry.
Of course, the school declined to respond for comment to media requests and hid behind the excuse of confidentiality. Perhaps they were bullied into silence by the Nazgul.
Simply disappearing from school is frowned upon these days. If the kid really wanted his friend to disappear, he’d need a note from his parents, or at least, permission from Gandalf or Aragorn.
While parents and school officials fight about the purported claim of a magical ring, a potential American presidential candidate made a pretty interesting claim by linking vaccination with mental disorders.
Rand Paul — a ophthalmologist — put his foot in his mouth during an interview on NBC, saying he heard of cases where children ended up with profound mental disorders after getting vaccinated.
He went on to explain that vaccines are a good thing, so try figure out the double-speak there.
That’s not to say that there hasn’t ever been an adverse reaction to a vaccine, but there are studies upon studies upon studies by medical professionals that demonstrate the preventative benefits of vaccination.
I mean, it’s the 21st century and we’re still debating this.
However, now that we’re on the topic of debates, what can’t be argued is the silliness of Carroll’s final play-call this past weekend.
That was just plain unfortunate.
