Aaron Rodgers has finally emerged as a championship quarterback and no longer has to worry about living in the shadows of Brett Favre. A 31-25 victory over the Steelers brought Green Bay their first championship since 1997. There are many aspects of this game that were great and some that weren't. For me, seeing the Penguins and Steelers lose on national television in the same day, was a dream come true.
Let's just start off by saying that Cowboys Stadium did a pretty terrible job with everything here. Part of the structure injured six people earlier in the week and the sound system for most of the performances were horrific. According to multiple sources, there were more tickets sold than there were seats and that a few hundred fans would be turned away. Thanks Jerry Jones. It gets worse. Christina Aguilera skipped a line in the National Anthem and sung it to her own melody. If I didn't know the words, I would have no clue what she was singing. The Black Eyed Peas need to stay in the studio with their voice enhancers/auto tuners because that halftime show was terrible. All of the performances were pretty bad and the commercials didn't really make up for it either. With the exception of some Doritos and E-Trade ads, the commercials lacked the humor and cleverness they normally have. The overall viewing experience of everything besides the game was a disappointment to say the least. Oh, and how can you forget A-Rod getting fed popcorn on national television.
Now on to the game. For the record, this matchup on paper had to be one of the best in Super Bowl history with two extremely sharp quarterbacks and stingy defenses. The first half was all Green Bay as they took full advantage of Steelers miscues to score 14 points in under 30 seconds. Aaron Rodgers looked at the top of his game and showed to the world that he is going to be the next Green Bay quarterback legend. He looked that way throughout the entire postseason making quickwork of the Eagles, Falcons and Bears. The Pack jumped out to an early lead and just seemed to "want it more". I am no fan of the Steelers but I feel like they lacked the intensity you should have in this game. It seemed like it was just another Super Bowl for them.
Many postgame stories arose about both teams. Did the Steelers miss out on a dynasty? I don't think so. At least not completely. As much as I dislike the western PA football team, they have dominated for a majority of the decade along with the Patriots. The made it to the Superbowl this year without Big Ben for the first part of the season and have the veteran experience to drive them to success. Players like Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu are just two seasoned vets who have brought this team to the brink of a dynasty again this year and will definitely be a contender to do it again in 2011-12 if there is no lockout.
Another thought is about the Packers. They beat the Steelers 31-25 with Charles Woodson, Donald Driver and others hurting on the sideline. Next year they will be even more of a threat. Currently the second youngest team in the NFL, the Pack will have key components return to the field next season including linebacker, Nick Barnett and running back, Ryan Grant. With Grant back, the green & yellow have a better chance at establishing the run which will make their passing game all the more deadly. The return of Barnett will solidfy an already impressive defense. There aren't too many times where the Superbowl champs come back as "the team to beat" in my opinion. That isn't the case here. I think the Packers have an extremely good chance at a repeat. Aaron Rodgers is just starting to become one of the league's best and he has many great years in front of him. The Pack have a definite chance to create a dynasty with the team they have assembled.
Super Bowl picks for next year anyone?...I am going to go Packers vs. Colts.
Well the ending of football season means two things. It is just about time for Spring Training...but more importantly, the Flyers are one of the NHL's best teams. There is a lot of things to be excited for in the upcoming months.
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