Super

February 3rd, 2009

The Best Neighbors

I wrote a post for this site two days ago and left out only the details of our neighbors’ food.

I knew what I was making and while Tim had told me what he was bringing, I wanted to taste it and photograph it and talk to him about its construction. I also wrote of the glowing victory that I hoped in my heart of hearts would come to be. I am a Steelers fan.

But last night as I lay in bed and went over in my mind the details of this forty-third Super Bowl I realized that everything I had written was meaningless. The story itself was true. The facts were accurate but they did not represent what happened in my house as I sat and watched the best football game I have ever seen in my life.

Football Food

My wife and I were both looking forward to getting together with Sara and Tim. They are truly good friends and we love living next door to them. I made some vegetarian chili because Sara avoids meat and I also deep fried some chicken drumettes and tossed them in hot sauce to eat with celery and blue cheese dressing.

I was very excited about the food that the neighbors were bringing because they love to cook and talk and laugh and eat as much as we do. Tim is a particularly good cook and he always makes great stuff. He brought dates stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. Outstanding.

He also prepared an enchilada type dish that consisted of tamales and cheese wrapped in egg roll wrappers and fried. These were great as well. His third contribution, as if we needed more food for the four of us, was a platter of lamb burger sliders with a great salsa and caramelized onions to use as condiments. We had enough to eat.

The company and food were great but I am still in a little bit of shock about the game itself.

I knew that it would not be a runaway. The Cardinals were not supposed to be here but teams like that are sometimes called to a higher destiny and they obviously played an outstanding game.

What did we get this Super Bowl by way of entertainment?

Football

We got a 100 yard interception and run back for a touchdown that left me gasping for air as much as it did James Harrison.

We had field goals and touchdowns and extra points and even a safety.

We saw a team give up a lead that they had only lost a game with once in the last 154 games and then we saw them take it back. For the last twenty years they are 153-1-1 when leading by that wide a margin. In playoff games during that time period with the same lead, they have never lost.

We saw the youngest coach in Super Bowl history claim the championship and win a sixth franchise Super Bowl, more than any team has ever won in the history of the NFL.

What did Bob get?

I have never felt so drained from watching a sporting event in my life. As the first half ended I sat in fear of the Steelers giving up their small lead. Lightning struck and James Harrison did the impossible.  As I watched the lead run away from the Steelers like the deer that Fitzgerald is in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter I felt the life drain out of me. These are the kind of wins that the Cardinals have put up in the playoffs and this is the kind of come from behind inspirational story that Hollywood gives us. You know; the kind that we just can’t believe. And then, in the remaining two minutes we saw Big Ben and Santonio Holmes perform a miracle of their own. It was several minutes before I could compose myself and open the champagne (the real French stuff) to offer our guests in celebration. Whew!

There were also some very disappointing things that happened on that field Sunday. Several personal fouls were called on both teams that I found regrettable. I know that one needs to be pumped in order to do your best, but there were occasions that the unsportsmanlike behavior went too far. These things dirty the game and take away from the excitement and fun of the day. I don’t mean to cast stones but I find them distasteful.

We had a great time. We laughed. We ate great food that we all contributed to and we did that thing that is so important to enjoying life in general. We spent time with other humans. I thank God for that even more than the victory.

A small moment of celebration

Entry Filed under: General, Whats Bob Watching