Super Bowl LVII
As you may have heard, Super Bowl LVII is today and is here in Phoenix. The last time the SB was here, which was Super Bowl XLIX I went to a lot of the SB week festivities and live reported on it for all you fine friends. No opportunity to do that this time out. But game day is here now, so let’s get down to it.
Today’s game features the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, and should be an excellent game. Both teams come in with the same record and same amount of relative dominance in their respective conferences. They appear on paper to be quite evenly matched.
The weather here, all week, has been beyond gorgeous, and looks to continue today with temps in the mid 70’s and maybe light clouds moving in very late afternoon. Perfect. Not that it matters because State Farm Stadium has a roof that can be closed if necessary.
As to the game itself, my eye says the Eagles are a better team overall, but the Chefs have Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is an absolute wizard. So, it is a pick em, who you got?
Today’s music is by Floyd.
Also the evil balloons we keep downing out of the sky, discuss the balloons! Frankly, I think this is some way overblown and overhyped stuff but the news is all over it.
I sat next to Andy Reid once on a plane— let me just say the guy is a chonky slice of roast beef. I think he does it today. Chiefs.
Also, speaking of phoenix, any other avid golfers out here? The ongoing spectacle at the WM open is something. Seems like the desired end state is the tourney at the end of Happy Gilmore. Is it “good for golf”?
Also making a nice beef barley soup. Decided against Amy Klobuchar’s hot dish at the last minute. What’s everyone making?
I’m making a bet.?
Welcome to the “Fan Duel” Super Bowl
“Gambling on this weekend’s Super Bowl is expected to reach record-breaking levels, with more than 50 million Americans projected to bet $16 billion on the championship game, according to a gambling-industry trade group. Super Bowl LVII is also the first National Football League Championship to be played in a state with legalized sports betting. Fans inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., will be able to place mobile-phone bets during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Gambling operator BetMGM last year opened a sports-betting outlet at the stadium grounds.” (WSJ article)
Yeah, I don’t know, it is certainly like no other golf tournament anywhere. It has always been wild and raucous, even at its previous location at the Phoenix Country Club. Seems fine for there to be one tournament like this, but would not want them all to be. Gotta say, it is pretty big fun though.
Encouraging loudmouths, boors and drunken louts is now bleeding over to other venues, none of it is a positive unless you’re profiting from spectacle or the liquor sales.
None of it is good for golf.
Actually, the PGA LOVES the Phoenix Open, and always has. It has never “bled over”. Chill out Mr. Morality, the Phoenix Open has the biggest gate attendance in golf, it is NOT just about alcohol sales. What a complete load of BS.
What the PGA loves isn’t the only criteria one should consider.
The PGA also put out a statement thanking Trump for all the good he does for the PGA.
…and yeah, the loutishness and boorishness has definitely bled over into other tournament venues.
Get a life and quit whining. If you don’t like sports, stay out of trash talk threads.
Why is it that you make assumptions not supported by any evidence? Isn’t that some bad lawyering?
To that point. I was responding to Estragon when he asked whether there were any avid golfers and if they thought the Phoenix brayfest was good for golf.
I’m old school when it comes to golf, I am an avid golfer, have been for several decades, I care about the integrity of the game. Think Royal and Ancient, or the USGA, …not the PGA. Think respect for tradition, …not what profits some pros might get out of the game.
I also want to know what it is that causes your go to inclination to attempt to demean and debase others if at first you don’t happen to think you hold their same opinion. If I was to guess it’s some kind of insecurity. Maybe you could elaborate…
I don’t have time for your bullshit. Move along.
I want to say Iggles, but I know what a magician Mahomes is, and what he can do. That said, the Iggles defense is sterling in almost all areas (save the 3 yards and a cloud of dust school of running games) and their O-line is far and away the best in football. I don’t think KC’s D can match up against them with a great hope of success.
Still, the Philadelphia PD and city management have been consulting with lubrication experts to determine what they should put on the light posts to stop that uniquely Philly Thing of climbing them. They have not yet found something that will work, I read. Still my favorite video, from one of their World Series years back in the oughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bZk7BIdCns
I really hope the Iggles win. I love shit like that. It only seems to happen in Philly.
So, this means we should all take the under and expect a 10-3 game like the last win Cheatin’ Bill and Biebs combined to produce, before Bill had him run out of New England and turned the Patsies into … chumps. Lots of punts, positional football, and plenty of opportunities to load up those chips with guac, sour cream, salsa and whatever else your kitchen will have pushed into the bullpen in front of the TV, plus extra opportunities to critique the many commercials which will make “the flow of the game” a quaintly outmoded concept.
I will have nachos with my game, assuming I can stop myself from eating all the chips now, hours in advance.
I like that Brady is taking a year off to learn how to broadcast. It’s one of the more sensible things I’ve ever seen a retired ballplayer do, if given the opportunity to go on TV. He might even be able to help with Tony Romo’s next intervention.
Revis to Canton surprised me only insofar as I didn’t know he’d been out of the game long enough. One article I read noted his numbers didn’t necessarily stack up along the other HoFers at his position, but that was more a result of teams recognizing his dominance and never even challenging him. I’ll buy that. Just too bad he wasted so much time with the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS.
Someone ask Tiki Barber how he feels about Ronde going into Canton. Ronde played his brains out, stayed with the same franchise and most importantly didn’t act like an arrogant ass. One has to wonder what it took for Tiki to get himself run out of the Giants and ABC. That, especially in light of the stories now on the gossip pages about the corporate culture at ABC. Just how bad did he have to be?
Ronde will have his bust in Canton. Tiki has had his bust all over NYC.
My Stillers finished about as well as anyone could have hoped. Their sieve-like O-line seems to have gotten their shit together as the season progressed and kept their young QB from getting injured too many times. I look forward to a better season next year.
Miami’s Tua, I have heard, is still not out of concussion protocol. This is really unfortunate. He’s a real talent but as the old saying goes “the most important ability is availability.” The Fish should look for another QB. Problem there is, if they’re going to keep Tua, he’s a lefty and the rest of the QBs available are not. That will mess with the O-line no end.
I will devote no electrons to Aaron Rodgers. His ego will wind up like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Wouldn’t want that to happen.
All in all a decent season. To be capped by a game we all expect to be good and competitive.
Pitchers and catchers report later this week.
Oh, I’d take the Iggles in a heartbeat…except for that Mahomes guy. He is just different. CNN just did a report, they indeed are greasing the poles in Philly. Say what you will about Brady, the man knows how to prepare for work. If he does what he says, I expect he may be quite good. Not gonna go see “80 For Brady” though.
Mahomes is like Montana with a better skill set. Not that Hurts is chopped liver, but the Iggles had better make it a blowout or keep the ball away to the end.
As for the Niners, they’ll have a very interesting off-season. Kittle just announced that the QB1 job is Purdy’s to lose which is fair enough using the ‘hot hand’ theory, but Trey Lance will be taking the OTA snaps since Brock is recovering from surgery then. Also still in the mix is Garappolo for now because the latest injury (not due to being a geezer, mind you) will scare off potential suitors like his previous injury did last year. My guess is that the Raiders take a flyer on him to replace Carr for next year to give whoever they draft time to learn the system. In Jimmy G’s favor is the fact that he also wins games so unless the Niners keep him as QB3 with a good deal Jimmy G will play somewhere before the end of the 2023 regular season.
My guess is that Purdy will start if healthy and Lance will back up with lots of time on the field for both. Imagine Lance in Wildcat mode, being able to pass as well as run the ball. That would be even more brutally effective if Purdy can catch after Kittle et al gives him some lessons.
The other thing this season may have taught the GMs is to look for long-term (3+ years) QB starters since situational awareness was a key part of Purdy’s success relative to Lance’s last year.
I saw something on ESPN about the Jets asking GB for Rodgers. Maybe they’ll slip Aaron a note along with dinner in his isolation room, but until the Jets get an O-line, Rodgers will not play for them. I’m not convinced they have one yet.
Rugger,
I absolutely agree about the Raiders and Garappolo. I hope he finds a good home as a starter. Now we just have to hope that Purdy’s surgery is successful. Cannot wait for next season !
Well, EW got her 3rd UFO. https://www.yahoo.com/news/sen-schumer-says-2-downed-150259573.html This one, over Lake Huron.
And in parts of Philly the cable is going out, says the Inquirer.
Well, the Inquirer reports cable is failing in parts of Philly. This should be fun.
And EW got her 3rd UFO shot down, this one over Lake Huron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwAcvIZzuM0
Can I do this? Couldn’t resist. CCR “It Came Out of the Sky”
I always thought Mr. Mahomes was a point guard playing quarterback, and much more fun to watch, instead of, by comparison, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts as power forwards playing qb. Seems to give Reid’s play design many more options. If Kelce, the TE, is doubled I think Mahomes and the Chiefs passing game have issues because of Mahomes’s still gimpy ankle. Given the Iggles kicking game they need to score TDs. Should be close.
I like that basketball analogy. Mahomes is more fun to watch than Hurts, more fun that any other QB in the league. He sees the field like a point guard sees the floor, and can move the ball where it needs to go. Hurts is a great QB too, just more typical of the old-style QBs, maybe not quite the arm but with better and smarter legs.
If the ankle is 100% I have to go with the Chiefs.
But what’s really important is the food choice. We’ve opted for Mexican this year with beer to match.
Stay thirsty my friends…
We are having homemade pizza from the Ooni Pizza Oven. The thing makes incredible pies.
Love my ooni. There is definitely a learning curve but once you figure out how to get it dialed, the thing is great!
It took us a bit, but yeah once you get locked in, it is really sweet.
bmaz and Estragon we got an Ooni for Christmas but have not tried it yet. Will take any advise you can impart.
Be meticulous making the crust. Then make sure you have a proper spatula thing to turn the pie with (the technical term is a “peel”). When you start cooking, things happen FAST, as in the pie is cooked in maybe 90 seconds or less. And it has to be turned a couple of times in that time. Other tha that, just get at it, it takes a little practice.
Thanks ! We have a really good giant peel we have been using with a ‘stone’ in the regular oven. Will focus on the crust.
Be sure to use 00 flour, and if you want a really good crust, check out “Next level Pizza,” it’s a twice fermented dough that starts with a “poolish” and is proofed or fermented twice overnight in the fridge. Unbelievable.
So my problem initially was starting to cook too fast. I kept coming out with these pies that were raw on the bottom, burnt on top. You have to let the floor of it get hot– REALLY hot. Then lay off on the fuel and as bmaz says: turn baby turn. If you’ve got it right it happens fast.
Yep, we (really far more Mrs. bmaz) heat the Ozone up on full blast for quite awhile, but then dial it back a bit for the actual cooking.
Cool, Bmaz ! I have been looking at these things because my Memphis pellet smoker can’t get hot enough for a crispy crust ! Do you have the gas-fired or wood-fired type ?
Oh, we have the Koda 16 gas version. Recommend the bigger one instead of the 12. But absolutely gas.
Rooting for competitive, close, game with some Mahomes Magic.
So far have enjoyed nachos and Bohemia, and Phoenix TPC golf; good leaderboard.
Phoenix center of the sports world today.
We are a house divided. One child has a godfather from Philly – a much adored family member through marriage! We also have a nephew living in KC,KS as a newly minted resident!
Leaning for the Iggles in terms of overall talent! We live in split Bengals & Browns fans city so that may also be influencing our choice.
As for game food, homemade Philly soft pretzels and pretzel dips.
BOLO for the rumored new Mahomes mind blowing pass. Could it be a behind the back pass?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK4IZMq40P8
Regardless of the outcome I hope Jalen has a good day. I’ve been a fan ever since he got dumped at UA for Tua. And Tua ain’t in the SB this year and may have mush for brains if he keeps up his concussion rate.
Well, a 14 piece Phila Brass Band, Whoa Phat, just marched down 2nd street in Philadelphia picking up fans along the whole ten blocks. Mini Madris Gras Philly style. Sooo psyched.
Fuck them greased poles . First guy up has towels galore . Second guy up humpty, humpty, hump, ha, ha, ha!
So the balloons are overblown? I see what you did there.
Personally, I can’t watch concussionball. Too painful. Though I have nothing against those who can. Hell, I used to know the Sullivans when they owned the Patriots.
I worked hard on that one!
We live about a 7 minute drive from the stadium, but there was no way I would want to venture around there during the week. My interest in football had waned when I left the D.C. area at the end of the Joe Gibbs era, then had to suffer through 20 years of the Lions, and now the Cardinals. I will probably turn on the game, and just hope it will be a good one. Phila looks to be unstoppable, but you never know with Mahomes.
Because my current employer is a “partner” with the NFL, they brought the Lombardi Trophy to the store for the employees and family to see on Wed. (Did the same for the other west valley stores). Some of the stores (not ours) also go a visit from washed up former NFL players such as Matt Leinart, and Colt McCoy.
As for food for the game, we are cooking up some bean soup, and I’m about to mix up some pizza dough to make breadsticks. All to be washed down with some SanTan Moonjuice and 805 Cerveza.
Just got home after a lonnnggg day at church, capped off with a council meeting that had to be rescheduled because of snow last week. I was listening to Sirius XM’s soccer channel talking about today’s soccer/football matches in the English Premier League (mid-evening in London, mid-afternoon in metro KC). After talking the soccer stuff of the day to death, they cut to their reporter covering the Super Bowl. It was interesting to hear him talking to a soccer audience, explaining some of the basic stuff to a non-US football audience.
One piece of his report really made me laugh. Paraphrasing here . . . “You know, we EPL guys *hate* split jerseys. You gotta pick *a* team, right? Someone wears a split jersey to Anfield or Old Trafford, and they are gonna get all kinds of abuse. And rightfully so.” The hosts back in England agree, and he goes on. “But I have discovered that there is an exception to this rule — one single solitary exception. If you are the mom and have two boys playing against each other, you are ABSOLUTELY allowed to wear a split jersey. Nobody can force a momma to pick between her boys.”
He then went on to talk about Momma Kelce, Jason the Eagle, and Travis the Chef. As a resident of KC, I am soooo over hearing any more about this, but listening to these English soccer talk show guys talk about it was hilarious.
When the hosts pressed the reporter to pick a winner (how all their pregame interviews end for soccer matches), he paused, then said “You know, on paper the Eagles look really good. And on the other side of the field, you see Mahomes and Reid. Reid has a way of breaking down his opposition and turning it into a game plan that is incredible, then making halftime adjustments to it, and then Mahomes is . . . Mahomes. He makes that game plan happen, even when he has to make in-play adjustments. Damn. Don’t make me pick. Really. Don’t. Just when I talk myself into picking one team, someone says something that makes me go ‘wait a minute’ and I change my mind. My prediction is . . . this will be a helluva game.”
It’s fun to read the coverage in the German papers, too.
And the second half adjustments . . . damn.
The play run for the last two TDs I suspect is one of them, where Reid figured out what Philly was expecting and gave them what they wanted to see before yanking the rug out from under them. That left the cover guy (and apparently there was just one responsible for that receiver) on an island moving the wrong way. I’m a little more surprised that the Iggles didn’t adjust to that after the first play given the regard the league has for their coaches’ abilities in that area.
In rugby, that is what a well-executed scissor move looks like.
The Chefs put out a video last week, which was pretty good as pre-big match videos go. No disrespecting the opposing team, no outrageous overhyping things, no blasts of militaristic bombast, just a simple message: “We. Want. It. Back.”
(And the inclusion of Travis Kelce’s epic takedown of the mayor of Cincinnati was the chef’s kiss on the whole thing.)
After watching Brock Purdy’s and then Josh Johnson’s injuries end the 49ers season and all hope, I am feeling kind of agnostic today. The petty part of me wants the Eagles to get blasted out of the sky like a Chinese balloon. But it would just be nice to actually have a good game for the Super Bowl for a change.
Did everyone see that a fourth Flying Mystery was dropped into Lake Huron today?
We are having the usual suspects to graze on and added air fried blue cheese stuffed olives encased in Italian sausage, sort of like a Scotch Egg. Later we are having Mr Pitcher’s mind blowing cioppino with LOTS of crab.
I see that Fox is going full Fox, with a giant middle finger to Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking of Bowls, the puppy my wife brought to the Puppy Bowl got air time.
In case anyone thought it is a regular game, they get a bunch of rescue organizations to bring a ton of puppies, let them loose in batches with toys, and then edit heavily. Fortunately the one she drove to filming made the cut.
Which one? I caught a bit of it earlier. Seems like a good cause. Any idea how many get adopted?
He was late in the “game” but was in the bunch of bigger puppies. The filming was back in the fall to give plenty of time for editing and promos, so I’m sure by now they’re all adopted. But they had a few promos for new fosters who may still be up for grabs.
There’s a lot of press that happens in conjunction with Puppy Bowl, and I think the best thing is that it gets people thinking about mixed breeds from shelters and rescue orgs.
Very cool, thanks for the follow up!
Thanks for mentioning this! I don’t watch football, but since this is a Trash Talk thread & I work in animal welfare, I feel I must post this:
Shelters nationwide have been hit hard by the COVID pandemic and related fallout. Full/overfull shelters, higher euthanasia numbers, inadequate budgets and fundraising results, people surrendering their animals in record numbers, a veterinarian/vet tech shortage—the perfect storm. Any effort on behalf of the animals will be welcomed, no matter where you may live. Donations to your local shelter, fostering an animal, volunteering at a shelter or rescue, or if you’re in the right place in your life, adopting a shelter animal will help us dig outta this one. Thanks!
Naw, that is a fantastic comment. And exactly what the Puppy Bowl is all about.
Takeaways from the first half:
1) This is a fantastic game.
2) Greg Olsen is really, really good at what he does; WAY better than Tony Romo.
3) Mahomes looks to be in real pain. He is going to need a pain shot for the second half. Good thing SB halftimes last forever.
4) The Ooni pizza is great tonight.
Greg Olsen is crap. He has been one cliche after another, and added nothing to the broadcast. This has been the worst broadcast crew I can ever remember,
This halftime show is meh, at the very best.
It could have been better, but at least Rihanna didn’t get her hair done in Whoville like it was for the trailers leading up to the game.
Fair. It was not horrible, but certainly not incredible. And, as VVV said, she did lip synch a lot of it. The spectacle part of the moving platforms was pretty awesome.
I was wondering about how much the insurance coverage was for those huge, plastic, magic carpets floating around the stadium.
Great question, has to be a lot.
Dang. They’re keeping it exciting this year, that’s for sure!
Inside the two-minute mark, and still tied at 35.
And KC got a field goal and held on!
Not many penalties today but Philly just cheesed themselves.
I get the time management, but if anything goes wrong with the field goal KC will regret choosing not to score that TD.
Great game : )
Congrats to KC & all their fans!
Excellent game, well coached/play-called, and the play was really, really good, especially Mahomes (I wanna see Justin Fields get the chance to do that).
I thought Olsen did fine, although he was trying really hard to predict stuff at times.
Rhianna lip-synced about 80-90% of that; I *think* she was live when the band was on and a few parts of the medley thereafter – tolerable because she can (recorded anywhat) sing, but pretty blah, approaching silly with the dancers.
Dinner was canned bean soup, crackers, and a cuppla martoonies because I’m on (some kinda) diet. Which tonight required vodker, olives and homemade cold-pickled jalapenos.
Welp, I didn’t watch the game, but I had Phi 5 and KC 8 in the office pool…
Great free spread at Shots and Giggles, best locals bar in Key West. Smoked ribs and brisket for the KC fans and killer Philly Cheese Steak with legitimate wiz for Philly folks but we all ate all of it. fantastic game what a Superbowl should be.
First Super Bowl I’ve watched since the 1970s. Wanted to see the half time show and Rhianna did not disappointed. Loved the show. Don’t know much about football beyond it has a bunch of people running around a field trying to put a ball through some goal posts and there always seems to be a lot of stopping and starting.
Mahomes did appear to be in pain when they left the field at half time. although he was walking with out a limp, he was walking slightly differently. Hope he recovers well. He is fun to watch.
It also might have been a Reid rope-a-dope to have Mahomes exaggerate things a bit.
Well, it also looks like another pile of State Farm commercials are coming our way, featuring Reid with a marker pen.
Let me preface by saying that Mrs. Gazebo does not do football. She doesn’t understand it and makes no effort to try. She says it is like watching ants run around pointlessly.
On the replay of the next to last KC touchdown I said, “Watch this”. She looked up from her book and said, “There was nobody near him”. I asked at the last touchdown replay and she looked up from her book again and said, “How come he is all alone?”
That’s how bad the Eagles were out-coached. Andy Reid won that game.
Mr. diBenci also does not do football, or any other sportsball. All my purview. He will however sit beside me during Super Bowls, which I interpret as an invitation to explain that football is great because everything can change in a moment. Last night as if on cue Hurts lost his grip, Bolton alertly recovered, and the Chiefs who were getting hugely out-played seized a TD from oblivion.
It almost happened again in Part Deux. But no, that would’ve been too easy.
Great game. Reid, Mahomes and Kelce are a pretty tough act to follow – even when Gimpy, LOL !
The Chiefs and the Eagles are the two best teams in the NFL, but Reid is the best Coach in the league – you can’t rattle him and you can’t fool him. They will both be back in the big show in years to come.
The Eagles secondary played too much man-to-man to match up with Reid’s devious strategic mind. For a Chief’s fan it was fun to watch !