Spring Break
Super Bowl XLIII by numbers
Adam Loghides
Issue date: 2/4/09 Section: Sports
I would like to first thank the Arizona Cardinals. Thank you, Cardinals, for giving us a Super Bowl worthy of actually watching and getting genuinely excited about.
To reflect on how great it really was, let's take a look back at this game by the numbers.
I: Number of commercials I actually enjoyed.
II: Number of Super Bowl wins Ben Roethlisberger has in his first V seasons. If you didn't think he was an elite quarterback before the game, you do now.
III: This Super Bowl was the third most-watched show in TV history. Really? This is more than anything a statement on how well the NFL is doing now. A game that pits two small markets, one of which the majority of the country couldn't care less about should not rate that high on the all-time list. Even the Cardinals draw a huge TV audience. Economic problems? Not in the NFL.
IV: Number of catches MVP Santonio Holmes made on the Steelers' final drive. Even though he ended up with IX catches and I touchdown, he really didn't deserve the MVP award. That award should have gone to Ben Roethlisberger and his Joe Montana-like drive to win the game.
V: There were V unforgettable plays and images in the final XI minutes that will stick with fans forever. From the Cardinals finally going no-huddle to Fitzgerald's TD to Holmes' TD, it was nearly impossible to turn away from the TV.
VI: Number of shots (one for each touchdown) I took during the game. This little amusement worked out a lot better than it did during the Civil War. Remember XLV-XXXVIII? I don't.
X: How fitting is it that the Roman numeral for the number of seconds KVOA in Tucson cut away to porn is "X?" And you thought that Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were unsuitable for kids.
XI: The number of minutes this Super Bowl was great. NBC had its first version of "must-see TV" since the days of "Friends," "Frasier" and "Will and Grace." You will not find a more compelling XI minutes of football ever.
XII: Number of minutes Bruce Springsteen got to perform at halftime. For me, this may have been the best part of the first III hours of the game. "Born to Run" is still a great song.
To reflect on how great it really was, let's take a look back at this game by the numbers.
I: Number of commercials I actually enjoyed.
II: Number of Super Bowl wins Ben Roethlisberger has in his first V seasons. If you didn't think he was an elite quarterback before the game, you do now.
III: This Super Bowl was the third most-watched show in TV history. Really? This is more than anything a statement on how well the NFL is doing now. A game that pits two small markets, one of which the majority of the country couldn't care less about should not rate that high on the all-time list. Even the Cardinals draw a huge TV audience. Economic problems? Not in the NFL.
IV: Number of catches MVP Santonio Holmes made on the Steelers' final drive. Even though he ended up with IX catches and I touchdown, he really didn't deserve the MVP award. That award should have gone to Ben Roethlisberger and his Joe Montana-like drive to win the game.
V: There were V unforgettable plays and images in the final XI minutes that will stick with fans forever. From the Cardinals finally going no-huddle to Fitzgerald's TD to Holmes' TD, it was nearly impossible to turn away from the TV.
VI: Number of shots (one for each touchdown) I took during the game. This little amusement worked out a lot better than it did during the Civil War. Remember XLV-XXXVIII? I don't.
X: How fitting is it that the Roman numeral for the number of seconds KVOA in Tucson cut away to porn is "X?" And you thought that Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were unsuitable for kids.
XI: The number of minutes this Super Bowl was great. NBC had its first version of "must-see TV" since the days of "Friends," "Frasier" and "Will and Grace." You will not find a more compelling XI minutes of football ever.
XII: Number of minutes Bruce Springsteen got to perform at halftime. For me, this may have been the best part of the first III hours of the game. "Born to Run" is still a great song.
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