Super Sunday Wrap-up

Before I get to an in-depth Super Bowl wrap-up (which I will get to later on this week), I wanted to do a somewhat brief look at the two historic events that unfolded yesterday on Super Sunday.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!

First things first, yesterday's men's final in the Australian Open will go down as one of the greatest tennis matches that I've ever watched. Although it isn't quite on par with the sensational Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Wimbledon final from last summer, it is still a worthy chapter in the great brewing Federer-Nadal rivalry. In case you missed it, world's #1 Nadal won his first career hard court major title with a thrilling 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 (that's five sets) victory over world's #2 Federer. It was another brilliant match between the two best players in the world.

As for this being a rivalry, some would argue that in order for a rivalry to exist, both sides must win roughly half the time, and Nadal has basically dominated Federer in their meetings, but I would say that this easily still qualifies as a rivalry. When you have the greatest player of his generation (Federer) involved in a series of matches against the greatest player of the next generation (Nadal), then it seems clear-cut to me. Especially as incredible as these matches have been.

The more these two players clash, the more I can't help but feel like we're not getting the best of Federer in their matches. The way Roger is able to absolutely annihilate his competition when he faces anyone else, and yet struggles with some of the most basic aspects of his game against Nadal, I have to wonder just what we're getting out of him. For example, yesterday Federer struggled immensely with his serve, even though he had been having one of his best serving tournaments of his career in this year's Aussie. It was very strange how it seemed Federer, a man that's never seemed to be the victim of his own emotions, had problems maintaining focus in yesterday's match. I don't know if this is the effect of playing against the best opponent in the world, or if Federer is developing a mental block specifically due to Nadal. Either way, I hope he figures it out so we can see him push back in this rivalry down the road. It definitely doesn't seem like he's over the hill (he's only 27, and even the all-time best Pete Sampras didn't run out of gas until he was 29 or 30).

As for Nadal, there's not much else to say than he is simply the best in the world right now. This guy's mental fortitude is unmatched, and he plays every point as loose as if it were the first point of the match, yet as aggressively and frantically as if it were match point. He almost never seems rattled, and his motor never seems to run down no matter how much his opponents make him run. I know that, being 24, my frame of reference isn't the best, but I have to wonder if he will go down as the greatest pure athlete to play the game. Yesterday during the coverage, two comments stood out to me in this vein: first, he was a superstar soccer player when he was a kid, and even as a pre-teen, and easily could have become a professional soccer player had he not chosen tennis; and second, he used to use two hands on all of his tennis strokes and actually chose to be a southpaw! Most people are lucky if they can be passable with one hand; he could choose between two!

Super Bowl XLIII

As I said, I will do a full breakdown of the game later on this week, so here I'll just give you some of my first impressions. First and foremost, this was a sensational game. It was interesting throughout, even if the Steelers did seem to dominate for the first three quarters. It was rather funny: many people at the party I attended to watch the game made comments that it seemed like the Cardinals were getting killed early on, and I even heard Chris Berman mention this on the post-game report on ESPN, but I didn't feel that way. In the first quarter and a half, while it seemed like the Steelers were in control, I couldn't help but keep thinking that Pittsburgh was actually unable to take full advantage of their control of the game and that the Cardinals did a good job of hanging around. Count me among those that thought coach Mike Tomlin should have had the Steelers go for it on fourth and inches on the opening drive. Of course that James Harrison TAINT was probably the biggest play in the entire game, changing a potential 14-10 Cards lead or 10-10 haftime score to a 17-7 Steeler lead.

The fourth quarter of this game, much like last year, made it an all-time great. Although the Steelers held a 13 point lead, the Cardinals were still very much alive and had shown that they could move the ball all game, as long as they could avoid penalties. You can also count me as one that had numerous complaints about the officiating, but I thought it evened out a bit by the end. Unfortunately, I still think it's disappointing that the officials would let the game end on a controversial play without reviewing it, even if the review officials believed that it was clear. Just the gesture of the review would have made disappointed Cardinals fans feel like they got a fair shake.

The one thing that has been going through my mind for the past 20 hours or so since the game ended was the question of where I'd place Ben Roethlisberger on a list of the most clutch QBs in the NFL right now. After a little thought (this is something I may write about in more detail at a later date), this is my top 5 quarterbacks I'd want to have with the ball with the game on the line:

1. Tom Brady - When healthy, Brady is still the most clutch QB in the league and will likely go down as a top 5 clutch QB of all time.

2. Ben Roethlisberger - His ability to avoid the pass rush and create plays when the pocket breaks down is second to none. The man is almost impossible for a single player to take down.

3. Peyton Manning - Manning's postseason struggles cost him a spot on this list. From quarter 1 through 3, there's no QB I'd rather have (except maybe Tom Brady circa 2007). But in the fourth quarter, Manning is only third.

4. Kurt Warner - You don't have an 8-3 postseason record on accident. When Warner is at his best, he's a machine in the hurry-up offense and he kills tired defenses.

5. Philip Rivers - It's weird, but it was surprisingly tough to think of a solid #5. The top four are all quite a bit better than anyone I could put here. Some other options: Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb (regular season only), Matt Hasselbeck (when healthy), possibly Jay Cutler (just not yet). I just don't know how much I trust any of these guys compared to those listed above.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the fantastic catch by Santonio Holmes to give the Steelers the lead for good. There has been some argument that this could be better than The Helmet Catch last year by David Tyree, but I think that's kind of silly. The throw was better, yes, as Roethlisberger had a minuscule window to put the ball in, but the acrobaticism (that's right, I made up a word!) of the Tyree catch is what made it so magnificent. Both are roughly equal is meaningfulness, as Holmes catch gave the team the lead and Tyree's catch came on a third and long that, had it failed, likely would have meant the game. Regardless, I thought from the first moment I saw the play that Holmes had gotten both feet in (I know many have said they thought otherwise), but I hoped (being that I picked the Cards to win) that the replay would prove my first reaction wrong. Alas, it did not.

In the end, we were robbed of our first ever overtime Super Bowl (yet again) but we were given another historic game that cemented the legacy of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and one all-time great franchise.

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What a year to be a sports fan

From steroids to gambling to cheating to game-fixing refs, virtually all sports around the world, and in the U.S. in particular, have come under heavy scrutiny of late and are facing image problems in one form or another. Despite all these issues that have recently been brought to the forefront, the products on the field have been some of the best a sports fan could hope for, and I could easily argue that this has been the greatest year ever to be a sports fan. Almost every time you turn on the T.V. to watch a major sports event, you have been treated to an all-time great performance or an epic contest. So with that in mind, here are my top 5 best championship events in sports in 2008 (keep in mind some may have been missed since those listed are only the events I watched live).

Honorable Mention #1: Euro 2008 - The final of the European soccer championship last weekend was some very high quality soccer, but the drama was somewhat lacking due to the impressive style with which the Spanish won. The best match in the tournament, Turkey's improbable 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Czech Republic, would easily make the top 5 list if not for the fact that these are only events which directly determined the champion.

Honorable Mention #2: Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5 - This 3 overtime epic barely misses the cut do to one thing: the winner of the game did not win the title. Had the Pens used the thrilling late-night victory to propel themselves to a series win, which would have meant overcoming a 3-1 series deficit, then this game may well have found it's way into the top 2. Alas, the veteran Red Wings regrouped to seal the series in game 6 in Pittsburgh, and leave this as a great game, even if it's simply a footnote in the series.

5. NBA Finals, Game 4 - Unimaginatively labeled "The Comeback Game" by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, game 4 was arguably the deciding game of the NBA Finals this year with the Celtics overcoming a 20+ point third quarter deficit in Los Angeles to earn the first road win for either team in the series. With the win giving the Celtics a statistically insurmountable 3-1 series lead, the final two games lost some luster as it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Boston would take home the title. It's because of this, and because I had no real rooting interest in the series, that this game makes only the #5 spot on the list. It was an incredible win, but I personally didn't feel chills while watching.

4. NCAA Basketball Men's Championship Game - Over the past several years, the title game of the NCAA basketball tournament has been less than gripping, and often the entire Final Four turns out to have little excitement. This year appeared to be on the same course as Kansas and Memphis dispatched of their foes without too much struggle in the semifinals, but we had no idea what was in store in the final. What happened that Monday night in early April was one of the most exciting finals in NCAA tournament history, thanks largely to the coming of age of Memphis freshman point guard and 2008 NBA Draft #1 overall pick Derrick Rose. Rose seemed to take the game over in the final 10 minutes, helping Memphis turn a close game into a potential runaway with Kansas struggling to keep up. But Kansas persevered, and Memphis's fatal flaw, free throw shooting, was exposed as the Jayhawks completed an impossible comeback, down 8 in the last minute and a half, and eventually won going away in overtime. Had the overtime portion been as exciting as regulation, this game likely would have made it higher.

3. U.S. Open Golf Championship, 18-hole Playoff - This may forever go down as the greatest "Injured star willing himself/his team to a Championship" event of all time. Knowing that he was not 100% entering the 4 day event, Tiger Woods fought through pain and the PGA Tour's toughest course of the year for four days, even leading after 54 holes going into Sunday. Then, the sports world was stunned as relative unknown Rocco Mediate, a man who had never won a major and would be expected to be well beyond his prime, pushed the World's No. 1 to the brink, only to watch from the clubhouse as Woods sunk a cold-blooded 12 foot putt on #18 for birdie to force the playoff the next day. What followed was one of the most incredible rounds of golf of all time, with the star and the no-name battling back and forth, each holding as much as a 3-stroke lead, with Woods nailing yet another birdie putt on 18 for the title. The result would gain further amazement value over the next couple days as the full extent of Woods' injuries (a torn ACL and a broken leg) became public knowledge. Were it not for the inherently slow nature of golf, this would have been an easy #1.

2. Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Men's Singles Final - A match that upon its conclusion was dubbed by many, including former tennis great John McEnroe, as possibly the greatest match of all time, was an easy choice for this list. The competitors, the "aging" superstar on his best surface and one he's owned for the past five years (Roger Federer) against the rising star that has dominated the clay courts but has never won a major on any other surface (Rafael Nadal). The stakes were simple: either Federer wins and sets a modern record for consecutive Wimbledon titles won, or Nadal wins and signals a changing of the guard and proves once and for all that he has the game to win on any surface. Like a classic "Rocky" film, the aging Federer fell into an early hole, losing the first set before completely choking away the second set, blowing a 4-2 lead to fall 6-4, Federer seemed to be on the ropes. But then the rain came, and midway through the third set the players had a break to regroup. And regroup Federer did, fighting back to win the third in a tie break and then scratching and clawing to a breathtaking fourth set tiebreak win, erasing a 5-2 tiebreak deficit. With neither player showing any sign of losing his service games after the second set, the match seemed destined to be called on account of darkness, but with the final set tied 7-7, Nadal finally stole a break, and despite Federer's valiant efforts in the final game, Nadal again held serve, being broken only once in the match, and won his first Wimbledon title.

1. Super Bowl XLII - Even if you had no real interest in either the New York Giants or New England Patriots, you still were rooting for someone in this game. You had no choice. It was one of the biggest Super Bowl underdogs of all time against the unstoppable 18-0 juggernaut. What's more, it was a rematch of a week 17 game that was meaningless in the standings and yet still turned out to be the best game of the entire regular season. The Giants had accomplished the improbable, winning 3 road playoff games en route to the Super Bowl, a feat matched by the 2005 Super Bowl champion Steelers but not expected ever to be equalled. The Patriots had cruised for more than half of the regular season, but were not blowing anybody out in the second half of the season or the playoffs and were starting to seem almost mortal. Still the Vegas wiseguys opened the line at Patriots by 14 and it held at 10+ even as game time arrived. I myself told a friend of mine that the only result that would surprise me would be a Giants blowout win. Anything else seemed possible, but I certainly didn't expect what happened. The defenses dominated. Only 5 weeks after the teams previously met in a 38-35 shootout at Giants Stadium, neither team was able to muster much offense throughout the game, with the Giants d-line constantly pressuring Tom Brady while the Patriots stuffed the Giants running game. Despite the defenses dominating, the game never felt like it was dragging with each possession gaining importance as the game moved along. When the Pats offense finally seemed to find its stride midway through the fourth quarter, and they broke into the endzone for a 14-10 lead, the game felt like it was over. But time was nowhere near up for the G-Men, and the much-maligned Eli Manning took the game in his hands, moving the Giants confidently down the field, aided by the most spectacular catch in Super Bowl history (argue if you want, but it's true). Finally, with under a minute to play, Manning hit Plaxico Burress for the touchdown and a 3 point lead, and the Patriots were stunned. 17-14 has already become a black mark throughout New England, and fans will never hear the end of 18-1, the would-be perfect season ended by the likes of Eli Manning and rival New York.