Not exactly saving the best for last.

Some observations from Super Bowl XL-

-First things first, Congrats to the Steelers for winning one for the thumb. It certainly wasn't pretty or easy to watch, but they are a tough team that earned this victory. They finished quite a run by winning three straight on the road and the Super Bowl. I would like to point out, however, how that run may have been quite shorter had Carson Palmer not had his knee wrecked on the Bengals' first play from scrimmage in the Wild Card round. We never will know what would have happened and it's likely the Steelers would have beaten Cincinatti anyway, but, like New England's tuck rule good fortune, it's a small detail that likely will be forgotten.

- It's nice to see that the NFL's poor post-season officiating carried over to the Super Bowl. I'm not saying that Pittsburgh was handed the game or that the refs cheated. Far from it. But I do think that the refs blew at least four huge calls :
-Darryl Jackson's offensive pass interference included less contact than many other plays that go unpenalized. If they called every play that tight we'd never see the end of a game.
-The phantom holding call that negated Seattle's big pass to the 1-yard line. Questionable.
-I don't think Big Ben got into the end zone on his touchdown run. To me it looked like he got as close to breaking the plane as possible without actually crossing it. As a fan who had no rooting interest, it would have been fun to see what Cowher did on 4th and 1. I do agree with the refs that once it was called a TD on the field that there wasn't indisputable replay evidence to overturn it.
-How in the world could they call Matt Hasselbeck for blocking below the waist when he made the tackle after his interception? This was probably the bad call that had the least impact, but it was the worst of the bunch.
A final word about the poor officiating-the Steelers fought through plenty of bad officating to reach the Super Bowl. Seattle simply didn't play well enough to overcome some bad breaks. So no crying in your lattes, Hawks fans.


-I don't think there is too much to say about the Rolling Stones halftime performance besides that they stunk. I'm not sure if it was them or ABC's feed, but they were constantly off-key. Mick Jagger cavorted around the stage like a sick chicken having a seizure. Not entertaining at all. And I like the Stones. I hope the fans who paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for a ticket to their recent stadium tour got a better performance than last night.


-I thought the commercials were pretty lackluster.I always look forward to the new ones, but last night left me dissapointed. That being said, there were some sweet highlights. I loved the old school feel; you really can't go wrong with MacGyver, Benny Hill's chase music or a cool voiceover from Adam West. I also laughed at Budweiser's lamb streaker and the lady on the airplane who ended up in the guy's lap after turbulence. Burger King actually found a way to make their creepy King head look normal- dress ladies as condiments and have them sing and dance. It was so bad that the Fruit of the Loom guys thought the commecrial was ridiculous. That burger dress was just plain nasty looking. Finally, my wife could do nothing but shake her head when I giggled as ABC touted their new show starring Rob ESTES. Yes, I know, it's immature and stupid, but his name makes me laugh every time. Wow, I really should grow up.

The saddest thing of all? No more meaningful football until Sept. (At least pitchers and catchers report next week.)