Today we are celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of one of the greatest Americans, one of my all-time heroes, and the man I believe was the greatest American president, Abraham Lincoln. Everyone knows Lincoln's story, and everyone knows about his presidency. We can only imagine what our country would be like today if not for Lincoln; two separate Americas, side by side, or would further strife have created more civil wars, and even more smaller nation-states? How much longer would it have taken to end slavery, and how much more bloodshed would that have cost?
One of the issues I hear about today is the deconstruction of the Lincoln myth, and I like that a great deal. Lincoln wasn't saintly or God-like, he was a man, nothing more. He didn't like black people and definitely thought they were inferior to whites, but he was adamantly opposed to any person being owned by any other person. He made mistakes, and his suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War would probably have gotten him impeached today. He was far from perfect, but he was a man of ideals, and principles, and he wasn't afraid to stand up for what is right. He saved the Union, and for that he shall always be honored and revered.
One of my favorite places to visit in Washington is the Lincoln Memorial. Every time I've been there, I've been awestruck by the statue. A feeling comes over me that can't be described, and I'm not the only one, people speak in hushed tones while they are there, and I have often seen people cry as they look up at Lincoln's face. It is hallowed ground.
183 years after Lincoln was born, another significant birth took place on this day, not one that is known by many people and certainly not one that is celebrated by the nation, but one that is important to me.
Happy Birthday, Abe. Happy Birthday, Jennifer.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Michael Phelps
It was just a few short months ago that Michael Phelps was being hailed as a hero and role model. He was the All-American boy, the Olympic champion, the sort of young man that made Americans proud. Today, Monday morning, February 9, 2009, he is still all of those things.
Everyone knows that Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana from a bong at a college party. For that, he has been suspended from competitive swimming and vilified across the nation. The local sheriff is looking at prosecuting him criminally. He has lost endorsements and has been knocked off the pantheon. All because he wanted to get high at a college party, like so many other young Americans.
I'm glad this has happened to Michael Phelps, not because I wish him any ill will, but because it is time to stop this ridiculous madness. Yes, I'm talking about the most stupid, costly, and morally reprehensible social policy since alcohol prohibition, the prohibition against marijuana. I'm not talking about hard drugs, or even other drugs, I'm talking strictly about marijuana.
How much money is spent by our government every year to fight the ridiculous and futile war against marijuana use and consumption? How many billions of dollars? Ever thought about what that money could be used for in this debilitating economy if our government would only get reasonable and legalize marijuana?
Think about it, not only would the government save billions of dollars wasted by fighting this stupid war, but if marijuana was legalized, and heavily taxed, it would bring another significant source of revenue to our failing economy. It would put many criminals out of business, it would free up jail and prison space currently being occupied by non-violent marijuana offenders. It makes so much sense that it sickens me that our government refuses to consider it.
Is this what the majority of Americans want? Well, how many states have voted in favor of medical marijuana use in the last few years? Ever thought about how many Americans would vote in favor of legalizing recreational use of marijuana? Ever wonder how many otherwise law-abiding citizens of this country break the law by smoking marijuana in the privacy of their own homes? Can someone give me a rational explanation of why there should be a law against a tax-paying, otherwise law-abiding citizen, coming home from work after a long hard day, and enjoying a blunt in the privacy of his own home? When did we authorize the government of our nation to decide what we can do in the privacy of our own homes? Where is that in the Constitution?
Sure, I've heard all the arguments against pot legalization: it's a gateway drug, it would lead to legalization of other drugs, people would toke up and drive, etc. Look, I'm not advocating getting high and driving, if you're driving under the influence from alcohol or drugs, you're a danger to anyone and everyone. You deserve to be arrested and suffer the consequences. No, I'm talking about people being allowed to get high in the comfort and safety of their own homes.
I don't believe marijuana is a gateway drug, any more than alcohol is a gateway drug. It's true that hard drug users often start off using pot and alcohol, but no one is advocating making alcohol illegal for that reason, so why should pot be different? Millions of people drink alcohol or smoke dope, and never try anything else. The gateway drug argument is a myth, nothing more.
As far as legalization of other drugs, that's a different issue for a different day. There are plenty of cogent reasons why drugs such as meth and crack are illegal. One only has to view the devestation caused by these drugs to understand the justification of their being illegal. There is none of that with marijuana. It's apples and oranges.
Finally, there is the seperate issue of medical marijuana. It's been proven medically that marijuana is the most effective drug in dealing with the effects of glaucoma, and has medicinal value in dealing with the side effects of cancer radiation therapy, not to mention muscle spasticity. The medical community supports legalization for medicinal purposes. The people of my state, Arizona, have voted several times in favor of medical legalization, yet our "wise" elected leaders have basically told us that they know better than we do, and will not implement it. Who the hell died and made them God? There is nothing more condescending than the government treating us like we don't have any idea of what is good or bad for us; treating us like stupid children, in other words. I always thought this nation was better than that.
I hope the major consequence of Michael Phelps' experience is that legalization once again becomes a nation-wide discussion and leads to government action. It is time, and it's what the American people want, maybe not every single American, but the vast majority. With the economy falling apart more and more every day, it only makes sense.
Everyone knows that Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana from a bong at a college party. For that, he has been suspended from competitive swimming and vilified across the nation. The local sheriff is looking at prosecuting him criminally. He has lost endorsements and has been knocked off the pantheon. All because he wanted to get high at a college party, like so many other young Americans.
I'm glad this has happened to Michael Phelps, not because I wish him any ill will, but because it is time to stop this ridiculous madness. Yes, I'm talking about the most stupid, costly, and morally reprehensible social policy since alcohol prohibition, the prohibition against marijuana. I'm not talking about hard drugs, or even other drugs, I'm talking strictly about marijuana.
How much money is spent by our government every year to fight the ridiculous and futile war against marijuana use and consumption? How many billions of dollars? Ever thought about what that money could be used for in this debilitating economy if our government would only get reasonable and legalize marijuana?
Think about it, not only would the government save billions of dollars wasted by fighting this stupid war, but if marijuana was legalized, and heavily taxed, it would bring another significant source of revenue to our failing economy. It would put many criminals out of business, it would free up jail and prison space currently being occupied by non-violent marijuana offenders. It makes so much sense that it sickens me that our government refuses to consider it.
Is this what the majority of Americans want? Well, how many states have voted in favor of medical marijuana use in the last few years? Ever thought about how many Americans would vote in favor of legalizing recreational use of marijuana? Ever wonder how many otherwise law-abiding citizens of this country break the law by smoking marijuana in the privacy of their own homes? Can someone give me a rational explanation of why there should be a law against a tax-paying, otherwise law-abiding citizen, coming home from work after a long hard day, and enjoying a blunt in the privacy of his own home? When did we authorize the government of our nation to decide what we can do in the privacy of our own homes? Where is that in the Constitution?
Sure, I've heard all the arguments against pot legalization: it's a gateway drug, it would lead to legalization of other drugs, people would toke up and drive, etc. Look, I'm not advocating getting high and driving, if you're driving under the influence from alcohol or drugs, you're a danger to anyone and everyone. You deserve to be arrested and suffer the consequences. No, I'm talking about people being allowed to get high in the comfort and safety of their own homes.
I don't believe marijuana is a gateway drug, any more than alcohol is a gateway drug. It's true that hard drug users often start off using pot and alcohol, but no one is advocating making alcohol illegal for that reason, so why should pot be different? Millions of people drink alcohol or smoke dope, and never try anything else. The gateway drug argument is a myth, nothing more.
As far as legalization of other drugs, that's a different issue for a different day. There are plenty of cogent reasons why drugs such as meth and crack are illegal. One only has to view the devestation caused by these drugs to understand the justification of their being illegal. There is none of that with marijuana. It's apples and oranges.
Finally, there is the seperate issue of medical marijuana. It's been proven medically that marijuana is the most effective drug in dealing with the effects of glaucoma, and has medicinal value in dealing with the side effects of cancer radiation therapy, not to mention muscle spasticity. The medical community supports legalization for medicinal purposes. The people of my state, Arizona, have voted several times in favor of medical legalization, yet our "wise" elected leaders have basically told us that they know better than we do, and will not implement it. Who the hell died and made them God? There is nothing more condescending than the government treating us like we don't have any idea of what is good or bad for us; treating us like stupid children, in other words. I always thought this nation was better than that.
I hope the major consequence of Michael Phelps' experience is that legalization once again becomes a nation-wide discussion and leads to government action. It is time, and it's what the American people want, maybe not every single American, but the vast majority. With the economy falling apart more and more every day, it only makes sense.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Academy Award snubs
The Academy Award nominations were announced a couple of weeks ago. It's not that I haven't noticed, I've just been so wrapped up in the Arizona Cardinals' run to the Super Bowl that I haven't had a chance to blog about it. Like most years when the nominations have been announced, I haven't yet seen most of the nominated films. And now, since I've started my nation-wide boycott of movie theaters, I won't be seeing most of the films until they come out on DVD, well after the Academy Awards are decided.
Therefore, today's post is not so much about Academy Award snubs from this year's list of nominations, but all-time snubs. Specifically, I'm talking about films and performances that were snubbed from receiving a nomination, not those that were nominated and failed to win. In my opinion, the nomination is good enough, and the lack of a nomination in the examples I will give below are pretty much incomprehensible. So, in no particular order, here are my all-time Academy Award nomination snubs:
1. Humphrey Bogart---"Treasure of the Sierra Madre", 1948
No one can deny what a great actor Bogart was, even now, 50 years after his death. His classic films are still classics, and can be found regularly on Turner Movie Classics, as they should be. So why in the world was he snubbed for his all-time greatest performance? Was it because it was so atypical for him and nothing like any other role he played? Bogie's performance as Fred C. Dobbs, the down-and-out drifter in Mexico who finds gold with his two partners, and loses his mind, and later his life, in the process, is simply stupendous. In the beginning of the film, he is a likeable loser, someone down on his luck, but not a bad person at all. Finding and mining the gold transforms him into a paranoid, greedy, dangerous psychopath, a process that happens gradually. Bogie is superb in making that transition appear natural and believeable. His monologues about conscience after he shoots his buddy, Curtin, are mesemerizing. It's one of the few times that you can watch a Bogart film, and believe it's not Bogie up there on the screen, it's actually Fred C. Dobbs. He deserved an Academy Award for his performance (he had only been nominated one time, for "Casablanca", at that point in his career), and the fact that he didn't even get nominated was criminal.
2. James Cagney---"White Heat", 1949
Cagney's performances came basically in two categories; the snarling gangster with the moves of a ballet dancer ("Angels with Dirty Faces", "The Roaring Twenties", "The Public Enemy", to name just a few) or the Irish actor/song and dance man ("Yankee Doodle Dandy", being the best example). "White Heat" was a variation of the snarling gangster genre. Cagney played Cody Jarrett, a snarling gangster with deep psychological problems, an Oedipus complex of monumental proportions, suffering from debilitating migraine headaches and a cheating, untrustworthy wife. Through it all, Cagney is simply tremendous. Two scenes stand out above the rest. The first shows Cagney in prison, learning that his mother has been murdered, and slowly boiling over, eventually going beserk in reaction, punching out fellow inmates and prison guards alike as he is finally subdued and carried off to the prison hospital. The second standout scene is the towering finale, as Cagney is on top of a gigantic oil tank, surrounded by dozens of other oil tanks, as the law is closing in on him. Watch Cagney deliver his final line, "Made it, Ma, top of the world!!", as only he could, and you will understand perfection in film acting. Inexplicably, Cagney was not nominated for this magnificent performance.
3. Paul Giamatti---"Sideways", 2004
Probably no contemporary actor in Hollywood today is as underrated and consistently snubbed as Paul Giamatti. Is it because he's not a hunky, traditionally-handsome leading man? It's baffling. Giamatti's performance as Miles, the English teacher/would-be author and wine conoisseur is entrancing. Giamatti is both likeable and detestable as he plays a flawed, but basically good, man trying to make something of himself. His relationships with both his buddy, Jack, and the waitress he is attracted to, Maya, are complex and anything but smooth and Giamatti is superb in his scenes with them. Giamatti also nails the scenes where is supposed to be drunk, not as simple a feat as it may seem. He inhabits the role of Miles, and he is eminently watchable. I think it's one of the best performances of the last decade, and yet, no nomination.
4. Samuel L. Jackson---"Jungle Fever", 1991
One of these days, Samuel L. Jackson will win an Academy Award. How can he not? The guy is simply a tremendous, towering, powerful actor. In a film full of magnificent performances, his was the standout in "Pulp Fiction". He received a nomination for that film, but for some reason he was overlooked for "Jungle Fever", the performance that put him on the map. Jackson plays Gator, the crack addict brother of Wesley Snipes in Spike Lee's powerful drama. His performance is unbelieveable and heartbreaking. He should have been nominated for a supporting Oscar (as should Halle Berry, unrecognizable as his equally crack-addicted girlfriend).
5. "Do the Right Thing", 1989
How in the world did this movie not get nominated for Best Picture? Spike Lee's powerful depiction of a blistering hot summer day in a racially charged Brooklyn neighborhood is one of the most intelligent, searing indictments of race relations ever put on film. The performances are superb, the screenplay is poignant, and the final film is mesmerizing. Lee was robbed.
6. "Some Like it Hot", 1959
Today, Billy Wilder's comic masterpiece is universally regarded as one of the great comedies of all time. It is timeless, as funny now as it was fifty years ago (Good Lord, is this movie really 50 years old??!!). Fabulous performances by Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in drag, George Raft and Pat O'Brien as the scary old gangster and the old cop chasing him, and a simply luminous, legendary performance by Marilyn Monroe make this a timely classic. It should have been nominated for Best Picture.
7. "Singin' in the Rain", 1952
Most people regard "Singin' in the Rain" as the best movie musical of all time. The singing and dancing is great (Donald O'Connor's "Make em Laugh" number is simply amazing), the screenplay is witty and funny, and the film entertainingly tells the story of the time when Hollywood transitioned from silent films to talkies. Gene Kelly is a wonder to behold in this movie, and his "Singin' in the Rain" number is one of the greatest scenes in all of Hollywood history. No nomination for Best Picture, are you kidding me?
8. Orson Welles---"Touch of Evil", 1959
I've written about this film before on this blog (See Charlton Heston, RIP), and there's no need to go into all of it again. Simply put, Welles' performance as crooked cop Hank Quinlan is one of the all-time great performances in one of the all-time great films of cinema. Of course, by the time this film was made, Welles was a pariah and outcast of Hollywood, so it's not surprising that he wasn't nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It's still highway robbery.
9. "The Dark Knight", 2009
How in the name of sport do you explain this one, oh great Academy of Arts and Sciences? Is it because the film is a comic book movie, or a summer blockbuster, or the second-highest grossing film in history? None of that should matter. "The Dark Knight" is a brilliant movie, with one of the greatest performances of all time (Heath Ledger is a lock to win the Oscar as the Joker), an intelligent story, and a tremendous production. Its exclusion from the list of Best Picture nominees is inexplicable.
10. Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrestler", Best Song, 2009
Let's see, Bruce wins the Golden Globe for this great song, it is the final coda of his wonderful new CD, "Working on a Dream", he is fresh off a terrific performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, and he is about to embark on a world-wide tour. Sure, I know, let's snub him for an Academy Award nomination. Ridiculous.
Well, there you have it, my top ten list, if you will. I'm sure I've left some horrific snubs out, so hopefully this post will generate some comments and spark my memory of Academy Award terrible mistakes and omissions. Isn't this more fun than watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win another Super Bowl?
Therefore, today's post is not so much about Academy Award snubs from this year's list of nominations, but all-time snubs. Specifically, I'm talking about films and performances that were snubbed from receiving a nomination, not those that were nominated and failed to win. In my opinion, the nomination is good enough, and the lack of a nomination in the examples I will give below are pretty much incomprehensible. So, in no particular order, here are my all-time Academy Award nomination snubs:
1. Humphrey Bogart---"Treasure of the Sierra Madre", 1948
No one can deny what a great actor Bogart was, even now, 50 years after his death. His classic films are still classics, and can be found regularly on Turner Movie Classics, as they should be. So why in the world was he snubbed for his all-time greatest performance? Was it because it was so atypical for him and nothing like any other role he played? Bogie's performance as Fred C. Dobbs, the down-and-out drifter in Mexico who finds gold with his two partners, and loses his mind, and later his life, in the process, is simply stupendous. In the beginning of the film, he is a likeable loser, someone down on his luck, but not a bad person at all. Finding and mining the gold transforms him into a paranoid, greedy, dangerous psychopath, a process that happens gradually. Bogie is superb in making that transition appear natural and believeable. His monologues about conscience after he shoots his buddy, Curtin, are mesemerizing. It's one of the few times that you can watch a Bogart film, and believe it's not Bogie up there on the screen, it's actually Fred C. Dobbs. He deserved an Academy Award for his performance (he had only been nominated one time, for "Casablanca", at that point in his career), and the fact that he didn't even get nominated was criminal.
2. James Cagney---"White Heat", 1949
Cagney's performances came basically in two categories; the snarling gangster with the moves of a ballet dancer ("Angels with Dirty Faces", "The Roaring Twenties", "The Public Enemy", to name just a few) or the Irish actor/song and dance man ("Yankee Doodle Dandy", being the best example). "White Heat" was a variation of the snarling gangster genre. Cagney played Cody Jarrett, a snarling gangster with deep psychological problems, an Oedipus complex of monumental proportions, suffering from debilitating migraine headaches and a cheating, untrustworthy wife. Through it all, Cagney is simply tremendous. Two scenes stand out above the rest. The first shows Cagney in prison, learning that his mother has been murdered, and slowly boiling over, eventually going beserk in reaction, punching out fellow inmates and prison guards alike as he is finally subdued and carried off to the prison hospital. The second standout scene is the towering finale, as Cagney is on top of a gigantic oil tank, surrounded by dozens of other oil tanks, as the law is closing in on him. Watch Cagney deliver his final line, "Made it, Ma, top of the world!!", as only he could, and you will understand perfection in film acting. Inexplicably, Cagney was not nominated for this magnificent performance.
3. Paul Giamatti---"Sideways", 2004
Probably no contemporary actor in Hollywood today is as underrated and consistently snubbed as Paul Giamatti. Is it because he's not a hunky, traditionally-handsome leading man? It's baffling. Giamatti's performance as Miles, the English teacher/would-be author and wine conoisseur is entrancing. Giamatti is both likeable and detestable as he plays a flawed, but basically good, man trying to make something of himself. His relationships with both his buddy, Jack, and the waitress he is attracted to, Maya, are complex and anything but smooth and Giamatti is superb in his scenes with them. Giamatti also nails the scenes where is supposed to be drunk, not as simple a feat as it may seem. He inhabits the role of Miles, and he is eminently watchable. I think it's one of the best performances of the last decade, and yet, no nomination.
4. Samuel L. Jackson---"Jungle Fever", 1991
One of these days, Samuel L. Jackson will win an Academy Award. How can he not? The guy is simply a tremendous, towering, powerful actor. In a film full of magnificent performances, his was the standout in "Pulp Fiction". He received a nomination for that film, but for some reason he was overlooked for "Jungle Fever", the performance that put him on the map. Jackson plays Gator, the crack addict brother of Wesley Snipes in Spike Lee's powerful drama. His performance is unbelieveable and heartbreaking. He should have been nominated for a supporting Oscar (as should Halle Berry, unrecognizable as his equally crack-addicted girlfriend).
5. "Do the Right Thing", 1989
How in the world did this movie not get nominated for Best Picture? Spike Lee's powerful depiction of a blistering hot summer day in a racially charged Brooklyn neighborhood is one of the most intelligent, searing indictments of race relations ever put on film. The performances are superb, the screenplay is poignant, and the final film is mesmerizing. Lee was robbed.
6. "Some Like it Hot", 1959
Today, Billy Wilder's comic masterpiece is universally regarded as one of the great comedies of all time. It is timeless, as funny now as it was fifty years ago (Good Lord, is this movie really 50 years old??!!). Fabulous performances by Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in drag, George Raft and Pat O'Brien as the scary old gangster and the old cop chasing him, and a simply luminous, legendary performance by Marilyn Monroe make this a timely classic. It should have been nominated for Best Picture.
7. "Singin' in the Rain", 1952
Most people regard "Singin' in the Rain" as the best movie musical of all time. The singing and dancing is great (Donald O'Connor's "Make em Laugh" number is simply amazing), the screenplay is witty and funny, and the film entertainingly tells the story of the time when Hollywood transitioned from silent films to talkies. Gene Kelly is a wonder to behold in this movie, and his "Singin' in the Rain" number is one of the greatest scenes in all of Hollywood history. No nomination for Best Picture, are you kidding me?
8. Orson Welles---"Touch of Evil", 1959
I've written about this film before on this blog (See Charlton Heston, RIP), and there's no need to go into all of it again. Simply put, Welles' performance as crooked cop Hank Quinlan is one of the all-time great performances in one of the all-time great films of cinema. Of course, by the time this film was made, Welles was a pariah and outcast of Hollywood, so it's not surprising that he wasn't nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It's still highway robbery.
9. "The Dark Knight", 2009
How in the name of sport do you explain this one, oh great Academy of Arts and Sciences? Is it because the film is a comic book movie, or a summer blockbuster, or the second-highest grossing film in history? None of that should matter. "The Dark Knight" is a brilliant movie, with one of the greatest performances of all time (Heath Ledger is a lock to win the Oscar as the Joker), an intelligent story, and a tremendous production. Its exclusion from the list of Best Picture nominees is inexplicable.
10. Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrestler", Best Song, 2009
Let's see, Bruce wins the Golden Globe for this great song, it is the final coda of his wonderful new CD, "Working on a Dream", he is fresh off a terrific performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, and he is about to embark on a world-wide tour. Sure, I know, let's snub him for an Academy Award nomination. Ridiculous.
Well, there you have it, my top ten list, if you will. I'm sure I've left some horrific snubs out, so hopefully this post will generate some comments and spark my memory of Academy Award terrible mistakes and omissions. Isn't this more fun than watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win another Super Bowl?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Bummer
Many people are calling it the best Super Bowl ever. Most are calling it the best fourth quarter of any Super Bowl, and one of the best comebacks of all time. In time, I'm sure I will be proud of the fact that the Cardinals reached down deep, looked the big bad Steelers in the eye, came up with an epic comeback in the fourth quarter, taking the lead with two and a half minutes left, and came oh so close to pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. Today, however, I am only bummed.
It would have been so much easier if the Cardinals had merely folded the tent and tucked their tails between their legs after that devestating interception return at the end of the first half. It was a potential fourteen point swing, and many teams would have been finished after a turn of events like that.
But it didn't quite happen that way. The Steelers were on their way to what would have been a game-clinching touchdown late in the third quarter. It would have been all over, and I would have comforted myself with the satisfaction of an amazing playoff run and a Super Bowl appearance for the Cardinals. It would have been more than enough, and I would have been OK today.
But no, the Cardinals had to come up with one of the all-time great goal line stands, having to stop the Steelers twice because of a penalty, six plays that went nowhere, forcing Pittsburgh to kick a field goal and keep the Cards within two touchdowns. As if it was a jump start to the offense, suddenly Kurt Warner began to find Larry Fitzgerald, who had been pretty much invisible for the first three quarters. The Cardinals drove down the field, culminating with Warner's toss in the end zone, which Fitzgerald amazingly caught, to make the score 20-14.
The Steelers got the ball back, and not only did the Cardinals stop them, but came up with a safety as well, to make the score 20-16. And then came the play that should have been destined to be the legendary game-and-championship-winning play, a Warner pass to Fitzgerald, where Fitz outran the Steelers defense for a 60-yard touchdown play, and the Cardinals' first lead of the game with two and a half minutes left. In my house, we were screaming and crying. My throat is still sore.
And then, as if to prove that it is never easy for my teams, the Cardinals defense could not pressure Ben Roethlisberger on the next drive and the Steelers drove down the field and scored an amazing touchdown. In time, I believe Santonio Holmes' touchdown catch, over three Cardinal defenders, placed by Roethlisberger in a spot that only Holmes could catch, with Holmes playing a perfect tip-toe balancing act at the edge of the sideline to stay in bounds, will be regarded as one of the best plays in any Super Bowl, always assuming that it hasn't already reached that lofty status. As a football fan, it was thrilling to watch. As a Cardinal fan, it was devestating.
There will come a time when I will only think about the wonderful things achieved by the Cardinals this year. They are one of my favorite teams of all time and I will always cherish their accomplishments. But today, all I can feel is hurt and pain. The Cardinals can hold their heads high, they came oh so close. But the bottom line is they lost the game. It turns out that potential fourteen point swing with the interception at the end of the first half was too much to overcome after all. Bummer.
Oh well, at least it was the best halftime show of any Super Bowl.
It would have been so much easier if the Cardinals had merely folded the tent and tucked their tails between their legs after that devestating interception return at the end of the first half. It was a potential fourteen point swing, and many teams would have been finished after a turn of events like that.
But it didn't quite happen that way. The Steelers were on their way to what would have been a game-clinching touchdown late in the third quarter. It would have been all over, and I would have comforted myself with the satisfaction of an amazing playoff run and a Super Bowl appearance for the Cardinals. It would have been more than enough, and I would have been OK today.
But no, the Cardinals had to come up with one of the all-time great goal line stands, having to stop the Steelers twice because of a penalty, six plays that went nowhere, forcing Pittsburgh to kick a field goal and keep the Cards within two touchdowns. As if it was a jump start to the offense, suddenly Kurt Warner began to find Larry Fitzgerald, who had been pretty much invisible for the first three quarters. The Cardinals drove down the field, culminating with Warner's toss in the end zone, which Fitzgerald amazingly caught, to make the score 20-14.
The Steelers got the ball back, and not only did the Cardinals stop them, but came up with a safety as well, to make the score 20-16. And then came the play that should have been destined to be the legendary game-and-championship-winning play, a Warner pass to Fitzgerald, where Fitz outran the Steelers defense for a 60-yard touchdown play, and the Cardinals' first lead of the game with two and a half minutes left. In my house, we were screaming and crying. My throat is still sore.
And then, as if to prove that it is never easy for my teams, the Cardinals defense could not pressure Ben Roethlisberger on the next drive and the Steelers drove down the field and scored an amazing touchdown. In time, I believe Santonio Holmes' touchdown catch, over three Cardinal defenders, placed by Roethlisberger in a spot that only Holmes could catch, with Holmes playing a perfect tip-toe balancing act at the edge of the sideline to stay in bounds, will be regarded as one of the best plays in any Super Bowl, always assuming that it hasn't already reached that lofty status. As a football fan, it was thrilling to watch. As a Cardinal fan, it was devestating.
There will come a time when I will only think about the wonderful things achieved by the Cardinals this year. They are one of my favorite teams of all time and I will always cherish their accomplishments. But today, all I can feel is hurt and pain. The Cardinals can hold their heads high, they came oh so close. But the bottom line is they lost the game. It turns out that potential fourteen point swing with the interception at the end of the first half was too much to overcome after all. Bummer.
Oh well, at least it was the best halftime show of any Super Bowl.
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