Super Bowl Redux

I wasn't going to blog on the Super Bowl. But after rewatching the game to see the commercials I missed I did have a few general observations. But first I wanted to share this quote from Nate Silver:

It’s not a good day to be writing. Sunday was the Super Bowl, and while I managed to avoid a serious hangover, our spirit is down in Chi-town, and so is the temperature, which at last glance was lower than Rex Grossman’s passer rating. On the four-block walk to Best Buy to purchase a new mouse, I encountered no fewer than three frozen-over piles of vomit; that sort of encapsulates the mood of the city.

The temperature in Chicago was 3 degrees this morning but don't worry it's supposed to get up to 11 today and 16 tomorrow. And with the sun out, it feels like it's in the 20s.

Back to the game:

• It's really a shame that such an important game had to be decided it such horrible weather. I'm not saying that the weather was a factor, but the NFL puts the Super Bowl in warm weather or domed locations specifically to avoid a day like Sunday.
• As always the game came down to taking advantage of opportunities. The Colts hit their open wide receiver for a touchdown and the Bears missed two chances -- and both became interceptions. And it's a game of inches -- if Grossman gets a little more on the sideline pass, Muhammed would have had a big gain, maybe a touchdown or if the DB is an inch to the left, he steps out of bounds at midfield instead of returning it all the way. Somewhat an exaggeration, but that play was potentially a 14-point swing.
• The TV coverage was really poor. On Wayne's TD there was never a shot or discussion of how he got so wide open. On the (phantom) fourth-quarter holding penalty that negated a Thomas Jones run and put the Bears at 1st and 20, again there was not a replay or discussion. On the 4th down pass to Desmond Clark the offically ended the Bears last chance there was no talk on if it might be a catch. And all of these were key plays.
  
• And on those lines, I wish the NFL would decide or change the rules on what is and isn't a catch. Clark had control, got both feet down and took a step before the ball was knocked loose; Indianapolis would have recovered a fumble but that play sure used to be catch and fumble not an incomplete pass. Likewise I've seen catches where the ball moves at the receiver hits the ground overruled as incomplete for that reason and what looks like the same play where an incompletion is changed to a catch. I like instant replay, but sometimes it adds to the controversy instead of preventing it.
• I was disappointed, though not surprised, that they gave MVP to Peyton Manning. The Colts defense was the MVP of this game, but there wasn't one outstanding player to give it to. On offense, the running game killed the Bears; Manning was just OK. I would have split it between Addai and Rhodes.