The Bowdoin Orient

Super Bowl Sundays rarely disappoint. While the game may not have your team playing in it, you know that you can always sit back and enjoy the break from work, eat delicious and unhealthy food, maybe have a few sodas, and enjoy the company of your friends.

I'm sure by now none of you want to hear about the Super Bowl because ESPN has over-analyzed it and then analyzed it again after that, but seeing how it is still fresh on my mind and this happens to be my first piece for the Orient, I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a few thoughts on the game that I am hopeful you will enjoy. If you happen not to like it, then please feel free to stop me in public and tell me, preferably when I'm with my friends so they can make fun of me.

1. The cream rises to the top.

If there is a better example of what hard work and persistence can do to get you in the NFL than Aaron Rodgers, please let me know. I mean, here is a guy who has virtually taken the back seat throughout most of his career, from his playing days at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California, where in his senior year only the University of Illinois gave him a scholarship, to being a no name transfer to the University of California-Berkeley from junior college, to being overlooked by 23 teams in the 2005 NFL Draft, to backing up legend Brett Favre for three tumultuous seasons in Green Bay.

Rodgers never did quite get the respect he deserved. However, he believed in himself and when he took the reins in 2008, he never looked back. Since then Rodgers, who is known for his pocket presence, big arm and touchdown celebrations, has put up some very impressive numbers as a starter. The thing that I like most about Rodgers is the fact that he made other people in his system around him better. He made relatively no-name guys like Jordy Nelson and James Jones have productive years and shine on the game's biggest stage.

Rodgers has fought his way to the top of the mountain and now deserves to be considered among the ranks of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger as the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. The cherry on top for Rodgers would have been if, when accepting the Lombardi Trophy, FOX played The Heavy's "How You Like Me Now," but then again, that's just me.

2. Complete team effort.

Football is not considered the ultimate team sport for nothing, and Green Bay's performance last Sunday certainly solidifies that claim. The Packers won in all facets of the game and when big-time play makers like defensive back Charles Woodson and wide receiver Donald Driver went down to injury, others stepped up and found ways to win the game. It is the ultimate sign of a great team.

When the running game for the Packers wasn't working, Aaron Rodgers stepped up and delivered several big throws to fourth-string wide receiver Jordy Nelson. When the Packers needed a stop on defense, role players (who have the greatest impact in the playoffs in every sport) answered the call like cornerback Jarret Bush and safety Nick Collins, both of whom provided crucial interceptions for the Cheese Heads. Their special teams were solid, and most important, the Mike McCarthy spread offense combined with the Dom Capers second-half defensive adjustments to more zone pressures truly provided the recipe for success.

While they did not have the best record in comparison to past Super Bowl winners, the Green Bay Packers proved yet again that the postseason is an entirely different beast than the regular season, and the winners are the teams that get hot and click on all cylinders at the right time.

3. Steelers' valiant second half comeback.

After being down 21-10 at half, you knew that it was only a matter of time before the Steelers were going to make some adjustments and cut into the Packer's lead, especially with star cornerback Charles Woodson out with a broken collarbone. In fact, one can make the strong argument that the Steelers actually outplayed the Packers for most of the second half. The Steelers defense was getting pressure on Aaron Rodgers and forcing their offense into three-and-outs, while the steel city's offense started to make plays behind the strong running game of former University of Illinois standout Rashard Mendenhall and the speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace.

When Mason Crosby hit his 23-yard field goal, leaving 2:07 on the clock for Big Ben and his offense, I felt like I was seeing a flashback of the final drive from Super Bowl XXLIII when the Steelers played the Arizona Cardinals. Pittsburgh, down by six with the ball on the final drive, with under two minutes to go, and the terrible towels flying all around put the ball in the hands of one of the best late-game quarterbacks in the NFL.

However, the Green Bay Packers' bend don't break style defense held strong against the Steelers' aerial attack. The final dagger coming on a fourth and five from their own 33 yard line with 56 seconds to go when Roethlisberger's pass intended for Wallace was interrupted on a great jump from cornerback Tramon Williams. The Steelers were denied their third Super Bowl in six years, Aaron Rodgers went to Disney World, and that's all she wrote.

4. Mike Tomlin is a class act.

There is little denying the fact that Mike Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL. Ever since he took over in 2007, he has had nothing but success with the organization. What is even more impressive is the fact that he didn't even play Division I or professional football, rather he took his talents to William & Mary and became a student of the game.

One thing is for certain: the guy can not only win games, but more important he can win the respect of his players in the locker room, which is critical in the NFL. Shortly after the heart-wrenching defeat Tomlin was seen outside the Steelers locker room waiting for every single one of his players to return so he could shake their hands and thank them for all the hard work and dedication that they put into the season. When asked why he did that, Tomlin simply replied, "Yeah, that's just standard." Did I say Mike Tomlin was a class act?

5. Clay Matthews is an absolute beast.

I am stating the obvious when I say this, but after watching him put together one of the most impressive seasons out of a linebacker in recent memory it is hard not to love the guy. The way he can get into the backfield, deflect passes, or jack up players in the open field made every defensive down exciting to watch. I mean, that excruciating hit that he put on Rashard Mendenhall that caused a fumble and stopped the Steelers drive was, arguably, the play of the game.

This just proves a personal theory of mine: the strength is in the long, flowing locks. I don't think there is anything else to it. I've been saying it since day one. My source? The biblical story of the great warrior Samson, whose tremendous strength and mucking abilities were a result of his long hair. However, in case you're not sure how the story ends, basically he meets this girl Delilah, falls in love with her, he tells her where his strength comes from, she completely sells him out to the Philistine enemies for 1,000 silver coins by cutting off all his hair while he is sleeping, and he dies. Gentlemen, I think we can all learn a valuable life lesson from Samson.

Nevertheless, lately there has been something else on my mind. I've been trying to decide who would win in a fight: Clay Matthews or Stone Cold Steve Austin...The answer, of course, is other, sophomore forward from the men's ice hockey Team Daniel "Call me Mike" Weiniger.

6. Play of the game.

This is a tough one for me. I could say that it was the pick six by Nick Collins, the tag team hit by Clay Matthews and Ryan Pickett causing the Rashard Mendenhall fumble, or the touchdown pass by Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings late in the second quarter with NFL defensive MVP Troy Polamalu draped all over him. However, I am going to go a different route.

I thought the play of the game was in the fourth quarter when the Packers were driving with the ball and it was second and ten on the Steelers 40-yard line. Aaron Rodgers threw a ball to Jordy Nelson across the middle but it was dropped. Now the Packers were faced with a third and ten and only up by three points.

Rodgers, instead of looking elsewhere, trusted in Nelson, called a very similar play, stepped up in the pocket, and delivered a strike to him over the middle again. This time he caught it, and not only picked up the first down, but also brought the ball all the way to the Steelers three-yard line.

This play not only chewed up the clock but it also allowed the Packers to set up the Rodgers' third touchdown pass later in the drive, his second to Greg Jennings. This touchdown ended up being crucial for the men in green and yellow because without that catch by Nelson the Packers would have probably punted it away, leaving the Steelers with plenty of clock and only down by three points.

7. Sick tunes, bro...

Don't really have to say much here other than it's pretty embarrassing that all Christina Aguilera had to do—her only obligation for the entire night—was to sing a song that almost every single American above the age of 5 knows the words to. But hey, no sweat, at least there weren't a lot of people watching.

Also what about that half time performance? Mediocre at best (and even that is generous). Although, I did like that one member of the Black Eyed Peas on the far right who had the long hair and the blinking light costume. I'm not sure if he is actually a contributing member of the Black Eyed Peas but he was busting out some pretty sick dance moves, gotta give him that. Black Eyed Peas for Ivies?

8. As for next year....

And what would an article about the Super Bowl be without a prediction for next year's big game. Now I've been giving this a lot of though and my gut is telling me that the winner, in an absolute nail-biter, will be the New England Patriots 45, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3.