Deadlines suck. Almost as much as taxes, and never having all your socks match up after a load of laundry.
I am reminded of that whenever I read or think about the 2008 Super Bowl. Such as when former Steelers OC Bruce Arians said earlier this week that Ben Roethlisberger should have been MVP after Pittsburgh rallied past Arizona, 27-23, to win its sixth Lombardi Trophy.
The game should have been played at Kennywood Park instead of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
It was a total roller coaster, which made one aspect of my job that night that much harder. I was one of roughly 20 voters deciding the game’s MVP: Disney World and all that.
Easy choice at halftime.
James Harrison had just made arguably the greatest play in Super Bowl history. The Steelers were up 17-7 when they had been staring down the barrel of a halftime deficit. Nice try, Kurt Warner, right?
Then Larry Fitzgerald happened. Tell me he is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history not named Jerry Rice, and I’ll say ‘cool.’ That sultry night in Tampa is a big reason why.
Fitzgerald left tread marks on a generational defense, one that was completely stunned after he scampered 64 yards for the touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with a little over two minutes to play.
Enter Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.
They started playing pitch and catch as if they were in a Blaaaw-nox backyard, not on the world’s biggest stage.
After a holding penalty backed up the Steelers to their own 12-yard line, Roethlisberger and Holmes connected for gains of 14, 13, and 40 yards. They helped put the Steelers on the Cardinals’ 6-yard line with 49 seconds left in the game.
They should have scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play. Alas, Holmes could not hang onto a Roethlisberger pass in the end zone, which should have been an easy grab relative to what happened next.
Holmes made an iconic, toe-tapping catch in the right corner of the end zone. It was close enough to require a review but ultimately upheld. The Steelers’ defense did the rest.
What is somewhat forgotten is that Roethlisberger’s throw was just as great as Holmes’ catch. Arians, in fact, said the throw was even better.
Almost two decades later, Holmes is as worthy a Super Bowl MVP as any. Doesn’t mean he was the right choice. That is why I voted for Roethlisberger, as I tried to finish a story about a game with so many twists and turns at the end.
I wrote a terrible game story – like fifth-grade school picture terrible — but at least I got something right.
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