SuperBlogging

5:38--I was supposed to go to a friend's house to watch the Super Bowl, but I am reeling from a cold/fluey thing. I am going to liveblog the game instead. I am somewhat ambivalent about this matchup, but since sticking with one team makes it more interesting, I am sticking with Philly. They won the toss!

5:39--My obvo early pick for MVP is Tom Brady. My darkhorse pick is Teddy Bruschi.

5:41--Whoa, McNabb does a great job to avoid a sack, but fumbles...and who picks up the ball but my darkhorse MVP pick, Bruschi! Now Philly is going to challenge that their QB was actually sacked--you don't see that every day, but the replay looks like they are right.

5:44--I was thinking this morning that one day a controversial replay call was going to affect a Super Bowl. This isn't one of them, but the call was overturned.

5:56--I forgot about the vaunted "Super Bowl commercials." The Bud Light one with Cedric The Entertainer--feh.

5:53--I can tell I'm going to get sick of Chris Collinsworth by the end of the 1st quarter. Can one network please find one play-by-play team that doesn't irritate the crap out of everyone?

6:05--At this pace and with both defenses jamming things up, the under is looking pretty good.

6:08--Thirty yard pass play to TO. He doesn't look slowed by injury.

6:10--Philly dodges a huge bullet with a pick nullified by a penalty. I don't know if McNabb can keep up this pace. It seems like every passing play has him sacked or running for his life. He's already got his hands on his hips and breathing heavy. But it looks like Philly is poised to strike first blood.

6:14--Prediction for tonight's Simpsons: lame. I hate to say it, but The Simpsons quality has near disappeared over the past few seasons. Too much wackiness and not enough incisive wit and humor. Too bad. Meanwhile, McNabb flushes the Eagles' good fortune on the previous play by throwing a pick at the 2. He looks nervous or something.

6:22--End of a scoreless first quarter, with NE on the march after a fumble. I'm impressed with both defenses so far; neither is really giving an inch, but both QBs look a little tight.

6:30--McNabb looks a little more comfortable and Todd Pinkston with a magnificent catch down the middle. Set up on the previous play on a run by Westbrook on which there should have been a holding call. Our two verbose color commentators completely missed the play and were absolutely silent. Good work fellas.

6:32--The Iggles draw first blood on a nice pass play up the middle to LJ Smith. Another missed penalty (this one an illegal chuck on NE). It's 7-0!

6:37--The commercials this year are really lame.

6:41--Weird play...NE moving the ball well, as if they've been setting up the Iggles on defense for this drive. Now they fumble and Philly recovers. Not even the refs seem sure of the fumble, but that's the way they called it. Looks like another one that will be overturned on replay.

6:45--Trying to figure out why I'm liveblogging this.

6:47--Paul McCartney will be the halftime entertainment. I'm tempted to say "lame" but I can't think of anything that wouldn't be, unless they brought John Bonham back to life and had Zeppelin out there. I truly hate the halftime entertainment concept for the Super Bowl. It's as if we watch an entire season and playoffs in relative peace and quiet only to have the Super Bowl hijacked by the party planners from the Billboard awards or something.

6:48--Brady fumbles and it's a mess. Philly got the ball but I have no idea how. Wow, NE really shot themselves in the foot.

6:52--The commercials are getting worse. A bird speaking with a cartoonish Hispanic accent. That's not funny. How much did Ameriquest pay to have them promote the halftime show every nine seconds? Any minute I'm expecting a plug for it in the middle of a play.

6:56--Two minute warning and it looks like NE is going to get on the board with at least a figgie. Of course, each time I've thought someone was about to score so far the next play was a turnover. This half went fast. I'm glad, because my head feels like it's about to implode. I don't know if I'm going to make it to work tomorrow.

7:00--And there's the NE touchdown. Knotted up!

7:20--Halftime. I wish McCartney would drop his drawers. Not because I have a "that will show those prudes" attitude, but I'm hoping it would result in a ban on halftime shows forever.

7:25--I have to eat something. Haven't had an appetite all day. I'm opting for a tuna salad sandwich. It's the least repulsive thing I can think of right now.

7:30--McCartney just called for everyone to sing along and the opening strains of "Hey Jude" began...no one is singing. Maybe they forgot the words.

7:38--Had to cut over to the WPT marathon on The Travel Channel. I think if I was ever at a table with Phil Laak I would have to kill him or myself.

7:52--I missed an NE touchdown. Looks like the Iggles defense is showing some vulnerability.

8:01--Brady just got clocked, nearly ended in an interception. If the Iggles evern needed a defensive stop, it was on this possession. If NE had moved the ball down the field it could have been the decline and fall for Philly. Instead, NE just punted from their own goal line.

8:09--Philly suddenly moving the ball with some efficiency. I'd really like to see them score here to crank up the drama on this game (and because I'm pulling for them). I was also just thinking that if the game ended now it would be impossible to pick an MVP. Does anyone stand out at this point?

8:11--TD Philly! A nice couple of runs/catches by Westbrook. Maybe he is an emerging as an MVP candidate. In any case, we're tied up, so my interest isn't flagging.

8:19--I like the way this game is shaping up. Looks like the offenses are going to have to scratch and claw for yardage. NE moving the ball. End of the 3rd and it's way up in the air. Headache downgraded to "near intolerable."

8:24--Dillon squirts in for a TD. A pretty impressive drive for NE because Philly wasn't giving an inch. This is like a heavyweight fight. It will be interesting to see how Philly responds.

8:27--Golly, another medical mystery show--are they Hollywood writers on auto-pilot?

8:30--You can't run outside on Rosie Colvin.

8:32--Let's see how Stoj's bets are doing:

Patriots(NewEngland)Eagles(Philadelphia) Under 47 5.00/4.35 Longest Touchdown of the Game
Under 43.5 (-115)
So far so good.
5.00/6.00
First Score of the Game will be
Any Other Score +120
Will be what????
5.00/6.00
Will Either Team Score 3 Straight Times w/o Other Team Scoring
No +120
So far so good also.
30.00/28.57
Patriots(NewEngland)Eagles(Philadelphia)
Patriots(NewEngland) -7.5 (-105)
Needed some help here...and just got it.

8:44--Philly needs to get on the board on this drive...Ok, that's a "duh" moment...whoa! There goes TO! Big gain...

8:46--Interception by Bruschi...maybe my darkhorse MVP candidate will come through after all!

8:48--Much-needed defensive stop by the Iggles. There are still some shallow breaths coming from the green and silver side of the field.

9:01--Two minute warning. Philly wasted an awful lot of time getting a couple of plays in. This one looks to be squarely in New England's court unless the Iggles can pull off a miracle. I still have no clue on the MVP, but my guess is that Brady will win it on a fairly unremarkable performance. Dillon has a shot I guess, although I have no idea what his stats are right now.

9:03--TD Philly! Fantastic pass from McNabb. Not a bad catch by Lewis either. This should be interesting. Onside kick time. Stoj's under is safe for the moment.

9:11--A failed onside kick, but another big defensive stop by Philly. Just under a minute left. I would love to see this one go to OT, even though I need bed right now like a fish needs water.

9:13--Well, whatever Philly needs to do, they are going to have to start doing it from their own 4.

9:15--An INT effectively ends the game. Not a bad game overall. I was wrong before about Stoj's over/under. Whoever gets MVP is going to be a marginal choice, insofar as no one person stood head and shoulders above the bunch. They should probably just give it to the New England defense. Better yet, give it to the center. They never win anything.

9:28--Robert Kraft, the NE owner, just said "Fans of New England..." as if he meant to say "People of Earth..." Wow, Terry Bradshaw just cut him off mid-sentence! What the hell was that all about?!?

9:30--Looks like they are setting up to give the MVP to Deion Branch. I didn't realize he had 11 catches...oh, Terry just said he is the MVP. Maybe I missed it before. Or that was the least dramatic MVP presentation of all time. All right, I'm going to bed.