Coach Carroll gave it away
Despite all of the allegations of cheating –Deflate Gate– by the New England Patriots’ Head Coach Bill Belichick and Quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots won their 4th Super Bowl Title in a very exciting but tense game defeating the Seattle Seahawks and denying them a back- to-back Super Bowl victory.
After winning the coin toss yesterday, from the very first quarter, Brady and Belichick found a way to shred the awesome Seattle defense and offense to score repeatedly keeping the Seahawks off the score board. The Patriots just simply out played Seattle defensively and offensively.
By the 2nd quarter the tenacious Seahawks seemed to “re-group” fought back, and by the end of the first half had tied the score 14-14 with touchdown passes to running back Marshawn Lynch, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin.
This was the 3rd time in Super Bowl history that teams went into the locker rooms in a tie .You could see the look of relief on head Coach Pete Carroll, and Quarterback Russell Wilson and the entire Seattle Seahawks team going into their locker rooms knowing that they would receive the ball in the 2nd half of this classic.
In the second half it was a player’s game as Seattle seemed to take total control intercepting Tom Brady twice which in turn seemed to create a look of frustration and despair as Seattle scored again, leading 17 to 14 and built it to 24 to 14 in the fourth quarter, as Marshawn Lynch was running like a run-away freight train through the Patriots’ defense.
The New England Patriots’ defense looked exhausted by the latter part of the 4th quarter, while in the offense Tom Brady was sacked by Seattle’s Bruce Irvin. It looked like Seattle would repeat as Super Bowl Champs but the never say die Patriots rallied with 7 minutes to go to score 2 touchdowns, one by Ron Gronkowski, and the other by Julian Edelman to go ahead 28 to 24 to the delight of the Patriots’ fans.
Then the Seattle Seahawks almost pulled a miraculous winning drive comeback when Wilson threw a long pass to Tight end Jermaine Kearse, who made an extraordinary catch 1 yard from the end zone; but for some strange and unexplained reason Coach Pete Carroll ordered a short pass to Kearse which was intercepted by Patriot rookie Malcolm Butler.
Game over.
That decision caused the Seattle Seahawks their 2nd Super Bowl Championship in a row.
From my “arm chair” quarterback seat the ball should’ve been passed to Lynch or Wilson himself could’ve run the ball in and scored, and Seattle would’ve won 31 to 28. Alas, that was not to be by Coach Carroll’s decision which I know will haunt him the entire year into next season.
The main topic of conversation of this football classic watched by millions was Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s deflate gate scandal investigation by the N.F.L.’s Ted Wells, and of course the outcome of the game yesterday.
Many felt that if the Patriots won it would heightened the suspicion that they indeed cheated. For yesterday’s game the footballs were kept in duffle bags under the strict scrutiny of an N.F.L. Official.
In my opinion the New England Patriots won their 4th Super Bowl in 6 attempts because it was a hard fought “clean” game, very competitive on both sides; and well coached until the ridiculous decision by Carroll.
Tom Brady deservedly so, was named the Most Valuable Player for throwing 3 touchdowns in this game for a total of 12 career touchdowns in Super Bowl games passing San Francisco Forty-Niners’ Quarterback Joe Montana’s career 11 touchdowns in Super Bowl competition.
Sadly, this 49th Super Bowl classic which was celebrated in the University of Phoenix, in Arizona, was marred by a nasty bench-clearing brawl by players of both teams at the end of the game. Maybe that should be investigated, and punishments handed out to the guilty.
For Seattle, their one ring so far is better than nothing since many football teams have never reached that level of success, and many football players have retired without ever getting the commemorative Super Bowl ring.
Seattle is a young team that perhaps could “bounce” back next season and win it all. We’ll just to wait and see.
Post Script: Reviewing all of the comments about deflate gate and the rules that the footballs have to be inflated to a certain air weight of between 12 ½ & 13 ½ pounds and weigh no more than 15 ounces, I’ve come to the conclusion that in certain occasions there is merit in the deflation but, legally and it should be approved by all 32 teams in the N.F.L., and also endorsed by Commission Goodell.
During frigid very cold or inclement weather, including rain, the football is very hard to handle and controlled by players. In very cold weather the football can become as hard as a cinder block and hard to control by the Quarterback to throw his spirals to his receivers.
In rainy weather the football becomes very slippery and uncontrollable, so maybe in both situations the N.F.L. could approved a slight deflation. In regular or normal weather the footballs-11- should remain at the required air poundage.
The 12th football should remain at the required air poundage for the kicker for punt returns, for a field goal if no touchdown is scored, and also for the extra point after the touchdown is scored.
Perhaps in display of bravado, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots said, “When the investigation is over and we are found innocent, of tampering with the footballs I demand an apology”.
This statement was almost laughable since 11 of the 12 footballs in their possession were discovered illegally deflated, and everyone seemed to be pointing fingers at the Patriot ball attendant.
Also strategically omitted was the fact that quarterback Tom Brady was always quoted as saying that he preferred a “softer ball” for a better grip.
Let’s all hope that N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the NFL, will be able to regain the public’s confidence after his disastrous handling of the domestic violence incidents and the recent deflate gate scandal.
