post super bowl princely moments

 

Super pot roast

Pot Roast Bronco grimace

Well.

 

Super Bowl day is come & gone.

 

And I am consistent … it is all about moments. So my writing’s theme has to be prince-ly moments … because one of the best moments of super bowl Sunday was after the game … Prince making an extremely out of character public appearance playing himself <hysterically self reflective I may add> on New Girl.

 

Anyway.

To me … the moments that mattered on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

Reality moment

 

My first princely moment actually is a reminder to us all that while we are very very quick to deem a loser title on people who lose games. Reality?

No one really loses super text shaun phillipsif you are surrounded by what is most important in Life … kids.

 

Here is the tweet Broncos <loser> Shaun Phillips received from his son:

 

 

Ah.

 

Perspective. Just a great reminder that it is just a game.

 

And being a dad <or important to someone> is not just a game.

 

Just an enlightened reminder.

Be cognizant of what MVP award is most important to you.

 

 

 

the important game moments

 

25 seconds out of 3 & ½ hours. Or maybe I should say 3 hours 29 minutes & 45 seconds of your Life you will never get back.

A Seahawks safety in the first 12 seconds of the game. A Seahawks kickoff return in the first 13 seconds of the second half.  That’s the game.

Seahawks 9 – Broncos 8.

 

Everything else was time you will never get back in your life.

 

 

wasted momentsoh

 

The tv ads during the game.

Don’t you think if you are going to spend gobs of well earned profit dollars on an advertisement you would do something that really mattered? <rhetorical question … yes>.

 

Don’t get me wrong. Within the ads there were glimpses of greatness. If all Chrysler had done was the final 10 seconds ““Let Germany brew your beer. Let Switzerland make your watch. Let Asia assemble your phone … We will build your car.”

it was a sit up and ‘hell yea’ moment.

The rest?

I would have rather heard another bad Bob Dylan song.

Plus <being the literal factual truth seeking guy I am>.

I would like to point out that if you open your communication with “Is there anything more American than America?” it does make someone scratch their head a little as you think of … well … maybe say … South America? … or … gosh … Central America? … or golly gee …Mexico … oh … how ‘bout Canada?

But, hey, my geography may suck.

 

And Coke?

Embarrassing.

Their brand positioning must be “our objective is to be the global white noise – everywhere … but unseen.”

Oh.

By white noise I am suggesting someone in some Coca Cola conference room will state strategically <see: pompously – while sipping a diet coke and wearing a coke red tie/dress> that “if you stopped it people would notice … but while it’s there … the brand eases so comfortably into the ether of the consumer they don’t even notice it … but love it.”

 

Well.

Baloney <see: bullshit>.

 

If you are an iconic brand <as they purport to be> than do iconic communications. Uhm. That mean being noticed. And pretty much the only ones who noticed this tv ad were the ignoramuses who went batshit that americans were able to speak something other than english. And they won’t be buying coke now … which is what I am sure the coca cola company was aiming for when they aired this … decrease sales <don’t worry Coke … they are addicted … they will forget … and buy some next month once they have some other conspiracy they get all riled up over>.

I give them an A+ for intent and a failing grade on execution.

 

Now.

To be fair. The trouble with trying to do broad sweeping hopeful ‘bigger than life’ iconic communications is that it is an all-or-nothing proposition.

You go big … or don’t go at all.

Coke went for big … and ended up small.

 

Ah. But.

The only one I respected for execution & strategy … and … well … candor … was Radio Shack.

To me there is nothing better than stepping up to the plate and addressing the elephant in the room <if you want to have any chance at all of anyone believing you want to truly change for the better>.

 

“We know we look old and dark and out of date … well … at least the perception is … and we are gonna do something about it …” How they handled it was classic. Kind of funny. But best of all? They didn’t hedge their bets … they went all out without apology. Well played.

 

Do I believe the ad will make a difference? Not really. But I give them an A+ for having the kahones to spend the money and step up to the plate and try … and do it the right way.

 

Super Bowl brunothe musical moment

In general … half time shows in a huge cold stadium are a bad idea. The occasions that are good moments are memorable in their place as exceptions to the rule. Bruno Mars was spectacular. Spectacular performer and spectacular performance … and spectacular personality.

Prior to the half time I had thought adding the Red Hot Chili Peppers was a spectacularly bad decision. I was wrong. They are not everyone’s cup of tea <not mine> but they delivered the goods on stage <music & performance> and the combination with Bruno Mars and his band was … well … spectacular.

 

the princely moment

 

I don’t watch New Girl … but Prince made an appearance on the sitcom.

Yes.

Prince.

The resolutely introverted hermit-like super talented musician.

 

Maybe the funniest moment?prince on New-Girl

One of he characters sneaks through  a well-manicured hedge at Prince’s house … and it is filled with purple Frisbees. Whats he say:  “Prince is terrible at Frisbee, there are like 10 of those in there!.”

Awesome.

 

How did it happen <the appearance>. Prince contacted Deschanel by e-mail last season saying he only watched two things on TV: “New Girl” and the news.

Anyway.

Everyone was nervous.

 

“It’s safe to say that anyone who only goes by one name is going to be intimidating.” – Zoe Deschanel

 

Shit.

I was nervous one of the most talented musicians of our generation was making a mistake.

 

Whoa.

But who would of thought Prince would be such a great guest star. Prince was frickin’ awesome. The expressions on his face were priceless and he was fine delivering the lines.

 

But best of all?

He played Prince.

Well.

Who knows what he is really like in person … but we all have this perception of who Prince is … and he showed a great sense of humor by playing the character as we perceived him.

 

The episode is one of those typically trite “saying I love you for the first time” premises … you know … the first one who says it freaking out … then the couple freaking out. What makes this one not trite? Prince plays the love guru as it all takes place at a party at Prince’s house.

 

Prince shares a late pancake supper with the female character before taking her on journey of self-discovery  which includes a makeover montage to “When You Were Mine”, a game of ping pong in which Prince kicks her ass and a personal introduction to his pet Monarch butterfly.

 

The best Prince-like vignette?

He locks the female character in a closet <I think> … and then he magically appears inside moments later without opening the door illuminated by a lighter.

The female character freaks out screaming.

Prince is calm.

He turns off the lighter … turns it back on … and says “Boo!”

He was awesome.

 

And of course he played music. New song from new album I think. Doesn’t matter. It was great to see him perform.

 

Truly a prince-ly moment.

 

Lastly.

Back to the whole ‘super bowls and athlete’s legacies’ crap. My last moment is about reflecting back on lost moments. The great athletes who never won a super bowl.

 

pause to think of greatest and lost moments

 

Ok.

The craziest thing to me is the entire discussion revolving around how the game can define a player’s legacy.

I often wonder if this is an American thing.

 

Because let’s say we try and define the worlds greatest soccer player legacies by World Cup wins … well … that would eliminate a boatload of great players.

 

Is Peyton Manning a great quarterback <who has only one ring>?

Better than Tom Brady <who has 3 rings but none in several years>.

 

This is crazy talk.

They are both great <and both will be in hall of fame with so many other great quarterbacks trying to decide who is the ‘greatest of all time’ is mental masturbation at its worst>.

 

That short rant aside … to make my point … my list of best who never won a super bowl.

 

 

super dickerson–          Eric Dickerson

 

With all the hyperbole with regard to how great current running backs are … I suggest you shut your pie hole unless you saw Eric Dickerson run <I add in OJ Simpson later on list and could say the same thing>.

He was a beast in cleats. The second football player ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. He started running at SMU and didn’t stop until he retired after 11 <9 awesome> seasons in the NFL.

Retired second leading rusher all-time. He rushed for over 13,000 yards in his career and ran for 90 touchdowns.

 

Oh.

He never even sniffed <got close to> winning a Super Bowl.

Maybe the best big running back you never saw.

 

 

–              O.J. Simpson

 

Please.super OJ

Quit with the legal issues.

 

He was a ghost in cleats.

 

The first football player ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

He had five 1,000-yard seasons, including rushing for 2,000 yards in 1973.

He didn’t really run as much as he glided. He never looked like he was working but yet he was always ahead of everyone else on the field.

He was also a work horse. He was the type of player who would say “okay … give me the ball one more time.”

Simpson is another player who never came close to playing in a Super Bowl.

 

 

–          Barry Sanders

 

When he retired Sanders was second on the all-time rushing list.

There wasn’t many things the Detroit Lions runner couldn’t do – except win a Super Bowl ring.

Played on some mediocre and just plain awful Lions teams.

While Dickerson was a beast, and OJ was ghost-like … Barry was just … well … fun. He made grown men who could break him in half like a twig look silly.

 

 

super purple people–          Jim Marshall/Alan Page <the Purple People Eaters>

 

Yeah.

The Purple People Eaters. The defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s.

The motto of the Purple People Eaters was “meet at the quarterback.”

These guys were monsters. And looked cool while beheading anyone who got in their way.

 

Defensive tackle Alan Page, 9 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976), NFL MVP (1971), Hall of Fame[2]

 

Defensive end Carl Eller, 6 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974) Hall of Fame[3]

 

Defensive end Jim Marshall, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969)[4]

 

Defensive tackle Gary Larsen, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1969, 1970)

 

I could add in Fran Tarkenton ehere also … a hall of fame quarterback on the same team.

The Vikings went on to participate in Super Bowl’s VIII, IX, and XI.

 

 

–          Deacon Jones/Merlin Olsen <the Fearsome Foursome>super fearsom 4some

 

The Fearsome Foursome. The Rams <when in LA and had cool helmets>.

While the purple people eaters looked cool … these guys just looked perpetually pissed.

 

Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones as the Los Angeles Rams starting defensive line.

These guys just hurt people.

 

Dick Butkus called them “the most dominant line in football history.”

And Butkus was no hack.

 

 

super dick-butkus–              Dick Butkus

 

C’mon.

When  you think middle linebackers you think Butkus.

 

Shit.

 

When you think tough you think Butkus.

 

He was a ‘manimal.’

He didn’t just tackle people he hurt them.

I hurt when I just look at his picture.

 

He played on bad knees his entire career. And still destroyed everyone he played against.

 

 

–          Bruce Smith/Jim Kelly … heck … the Bills.

 

Buffalo made it to four consecutive Super Bowls but couldn’t beat anyone when they got there.

On one side you had Bruce Smith who was unblockeable.

On the other side you had Jim Kelly who never met a pass he didn’t like.

Bruce Smith dominated a game from the outside edge. A big man with quick feet retired as the all time leader in sacks.

Jim Kelly was tough with a cannon arm and made every tough throw you could ever ask of a quarterback.

 

 

–          Anthony Munoz

 

Maybe the best offensive tackle to ever play the game.

Munoz was the standard by which tackles were judged in his playing days.

I knew Anthony in college. A gentle giant … off the field.

On the field? A beast.

A great athlete who redefined how people believed a tackle should play the game.

 

 

–          John Hannah

 

Alabama coach Paul Bear Bryant said Hannah, a guard, was the finest player and finest offensive linemen he had ever coached.

Nuff said.

 

super marino

–          Dan Marino

 

He held every passing mark when he retired.

Marino was the Miami Dolphins.

Heck.

Marino was the epitome of what a quarterback should be.

He looked like a gunslinger … acted like a gunslinger … and was a gunslinger.

 

The dude could throw a football. He threw one of the prettiest balls you will ever see. I am not sure he threw a single duck in his entire career. In addition … he released a ball so fast you weren’t quite sure where it came from as it left the pocket.

 

In the end.

Losing the super bowl can still have winning moments and its good to be a prince if even but for one day.

 

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Written by Bruce