Super Bowl Aftermath: Poor Atlanta

Greetings once again. I'm back to give you my thoughts on an unprecedented Super Bowl that took place Sunday evening. One which saw the first overtime in Super Bowl history, and arguably the biggest single-game choke in championship history.

First half of the game was virtually all Atlanta. Matt Ryan was on fire, they were running the ball, the front four of the Falcons defense got to Brady. It was unlike what we have seen in previous Super Bowls regarding the Patriots in the Belichick/Brady era. It was 21-3 at half and it seemed like this was going to be another Super Bowl blowout.

Then Lady Gaga stole the show at halftime, one of the better halftime performances we have ever seen (though nothing will top Prince in the rain in Miami ten years ago). Joe Buck, Fox broadcaster, did make one interesting point as the second half began; the Falcons had gone nearly an hour without an offensive possession before halftime.

That factor didn't seem like much of a big deal when in the Falcons second possession of the third quarter, they scored a touchdown to make it 28-3. After that, reports on social media came out the President Trump left his Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago, likely in disgust not only with the outcome of the game (he is friends with Brady and Patriots owner Robert Kraft), but with the bevvy of commercials which seemed like an indirect "bleep you" to him and his policies enacted since he took Office.

All of a sudden, it seemed like the Patriots had one of those moments that you would see in the WWE where the fan favorite comes alive out of nowhere after being down and out, and begins to rally. They got a touchdown, but missed the PAT. Then they got a FG. Suddenly it's a two possession game, and also the Falcons offense began to sputter. Then a fumble recovery, followed by another touchdown and a two-point conversion. One possession game. Then the turning point:

After a ridiculous catch by Julio Jones put the Falcons on the NE 22 with about four minutes left, the Falcons seemed in prime position to finish off the Patriots. Then a curious play call that led to Matt Ryan getting sacked for a loss of ten. Then an offensive holding penalty that knocked them back ten yards further. Instead of a game-sealing field goal they wound up punting with a little more than two minutes left.

Brady put together a critical drive helped by what was the opposite of the David Tyree catch that befell them in Super Bowl XLII, Julian Edelman's catch off a deflection that, had it not been for the leg of Robert Alford, would have been an incomplete pass. They would tie the game with a touchdown and another two-point conversion, and the Atlanta collapse was complete. Falcons did have one last possession in regulation, but two costly timeouts taken in the third quarter and an unsuccessful challenge off the Edelman catch left them with no time to stop the clock, so we had the first overtime period in Super Bowl history.

Patriots won the toss, methodically drove down the field, and won the game on a two yard James White touchdown. Completing not only the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, but also arguably the most epic choke in championship game history.

And to be honest, it couldn't happen to a better city or fanbase. As a fan of the Magic, Bucs and Gators, it's easy to dislike that city from a sports standpoint; Hawks, UGA, and of course the Pigeons, not to mention this city lost not one but TWO NHL teams, and the Braves, or should I say Barves, are just annoying (and they stole FSU's tomahawk chop). Their only championship came in 1995 against a team from that (until recently) was just as cursed with bad sports luck, Cleveland.

Let's face it, Atlanta (and probably Georgia as well) has taken loss after loss after loss, ever since General Sherman ran roughshot through Georgia in the Civil War. I already told you about their two hockey team failures. Jimmy Carter was a one-term president. The Hawks have never reached the NBA Finals since coming to Atlanta from St. Louis. They did host the Olympics (somehow), but the legacy of those games was marred by a terrorist attack. And the Braves hoodwinked the taxpayers of Cobb County into building them a new ballpark, even though their perfectly good now former home was merely twenty years old. Plus, Ryan Seacrest is from Atlanta, and on a personal note, I was born there; thankfully my father pulled up the stakes and relocated to Orlando within a year.

When someone brings up the question "which area has the most forlorn fanbase in all of sports?" The answer shouldn't be Cleveland, or Buffalo, or even San Diego. But Atlanta. Fair-weather fans? Check. Lack of titles? Check. Shady stadium deals? Check.

It isn't like the city has NOTHING going for them though; their film industry is vibrant, more so than Florida's (you taking notes, Gov. Voldemoort?). And of course, there is Coca-Cola (and even they tried to screw that up) and Chick-fil-A (which is still closed on Sundays) as well as many other major corporations based there. But as far as the Falcons are concerned, many football fans (who are sick and tired of the Patriots) have this to say to them:

Congratulations to the Patriots, and now we wait for next season.

CT

PS: I wonder if anyone has seen Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey?

I'm back writing

Seriously, I need to do this more often...

Anyway, I'm back writing to give you some thoughts here and there about what's been happening the last couple of weeks. No, not all of this will be political (thank God), but I will touch on a couple of matters. Anyway, let me begin with last weekend.

For those of you who live in and around the Tampa area, you know what last Satruday was, for those who aren't, humor me here. Every year around this time (usually the week before the Super Bowl) there is a gigantic civic event here called Gasparilla, which is basically a faux invasion of pirates into downtown Tampa. Along with this pirate invasion is a huge parade, with beads and floats and a LOT of booze being drank.

Usually the weather for this event is Chamber of Commerce-like; sunny, dry, and around 70 degrees F. This year? Not so much. Overcast and cool (cold for Florida standards); temperatures didn't reach 60, which for the Tampa area is rather unusual even for January. Anyway, despite all of that; I still managed to get a sunburn (sorry, for some reason I can't load this pic onto this computer from my phone right now). Somewhat alarming when you consider 1) the temperature and 2) no sun. UV rays are nothing to mess with; I'll save my global warming rant for another time however; probably this summer. Anyway, I did have fun (without drinking), albeit most of the things I wanted to do via my social media platforms (twitter, facebook, Instagram) were a no-go; 300,000 people along a two to three-mile (?) stretch of Bayshore Blvd as well as Downtown Tampa meant (for me at least) a lot of data being transferred from everyone's mobile devices, and I got squeezed. Uggh.

Whether I go next year remains to be seen. I was flat-out pooped at the end of the night and I slept for at least twelve hours thereafter.

Spiraling Out Of Control

Ok. I don't like to bring up politics on this blog (hell, it's mostly sports; but not everone likes sports), but after these past two weeks I'm inclined to give my thoughts on what has happened. Especially the past week. We are two weeks into the Trump administration and somehow, the sky has not fallen; yet. I say yet because there has been so much consternation regarding Trump's executive orders (Muslim ban; re-enforcement of the "global gag rule", etc), it seems like the whole country is about to explode at a moment's notice. I have to wonder to myself if this was how living in the 60's was like under Johnson (Civil Rights Act) and Nixon (Vietnam Conflict).

I voted for neither Trump nor Clinton (Evan McMullin) in November. So suffice to say, I'm not in favor of what has been going on; at least not in favor of the way Trump has been going about doing business. And yes, I have lost "friends" back in NC for it. Mostly because I took a shot at Robeson County for being naïve; after Hurricane Matthew flooded out Lumberton, Trump paid a visit and helped distribute water and other needs. Did he have to? No. But you know what that was in my opinion? A cuss-fired infernal PR move to try to sway the votes of otherwise heavily-democratic-leaning county. And guess what? It worked. Trump won RobCo because those narrow-minded country bumpkins up there (I can say that; I lived there) thought Trump's PR move gave them the impression he was a man of God. News flash: he isn't. You've been duped.

Anyway, I'm digressing into the Dark Side of the Force, so allow me to get back. This past week, there was quite the riot in Berkeley because Milo Yiannopoulos, an editor at notorious right-wing website Breitbart, was scheduled to speak on the campus at the University of California there. Given that California is one of the more (if not most) liberal state in the US, some probably knew that this was a risky idea. And it was. Milo cancelled the speech out of fear for his own safety, and the FBI is now investigating the mayor of Berkeley for inciting a riot.

Was this disgraceful? Absolutely. Regardless of what side of the Aisle you fall on. I thought that our Nation was supposed to promote an open exchange of beliefs and ideas. If you disagreed, then you disagreed. But resorting to violence to prevent these exchange of ideas/opinions from taking place? Deplorable (no pun intended). If you're going to protest, all you need to do is make sure a) your voices are heard and b) you have acknowledgement that said protest is taking place. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things here. The wrong way is blocking streets and setting things afire, destroying property, fighting and causing bodily harm. Yeah it may get you headline news, but it hurts your cause in the long run, whatever cause that may be. But, it's just one snapshot of how things are spiraling out of control. Hopefully, peace will be restored this weekend as Trump takes the weekend off in Mar-a-Lago.

Other Weird Things

Went to the Lightning home game Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, and it struck me how bizarre things seemed to be from that game as opposed to most any other game the past two seasons at Amalie Arena. First, the team itself is having an awful year; last place in the Eastern Conference and third-worst in the league. This after two seasons where they reached the Stanley Cup Final and the Eastern Conference Final. Second, the anthems that were performed Thursday night. The young girl who sang "O, Canada" botched the lyrics a couple of times, but got through it. What was more striking was the "Star-Spangled Banner". Sonya Bryson sang, and nailed it as usual, but Kristof, organist at Amalie Arena, changed it up quite a bit. It was played at a much lower key than usual; rather somber to be honest. Furthermore, it was somewhat slower in tempo. I asked on twitter if it was indeed Kristof on organ that night, and one follower said that indeed it was. Just bizarre. Also bizarre, it seems like more and more people are selling their tickets to games. That's sad. Last two seasons, Lightning hockey was appointment watching. Not so much this year.

Super Bowl

Hard to believe, but tomorrow is Super Sunday, and for the first time ever I really couldn't care less. I don't like the Patriots. I don't like the Falcons. I may not even watch the game if you could believe that. Though if the Pats do win, which I think they will, I'd like to see the look on Roger Goodell's face when he hands Robert Kraft the Lombardi trophy. After suspending Tom Brady after the deflategate scandal, I can only imagine the Pats' win would be one big ol' "Bleep You" to Goodell.

I think I've written enough for one day. Hope to be back again soon. Take care.

CT