SuperBowl XLIV Reflections & Favorite Ads

I wasn’t too impressed with the SuperBowl this year. While it was a clean game with only one interception (if I recall correctly, and it was the big one), it just didn’t get me. I’m not big on football anyway, but this didn’t blow me away. I think what ruined it even more for me was the non-football factor — the commercials did not deliver this year. Probably because we had it good last year?

Anyway, sad to see Manning lose, although I’m happy the Saints and Reggie Bush did win the big one. Good for them. From the beginning it became obvious it will be a game of one error, as in whoever makes the first mistake will suffer the consequence. And that’s how it played out, ultimately.

While E-Trade struck again with the “milka-what?!” baby commercial, my favorite two spots were actuallyt he Leno/Letterman/Oprah ad for The Late Show and the Google ad. Here are the links for your viewing pleasure on YouTube (while they’re still up!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU (Parisian Love — Google ad)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcEx767TIas (Leno/Letterman/Oprah ad)

The story of prisoner F95488

Thanks to Bill Simmons for the link and to Sam Alipour for this absolutely fascinating must-read story. It’s long but worth your time in my opinion:

The story of prisoner F95488

It’s a wonderful reflection on Eric Frimpong, the UCSB soccer player who is serving time in prison for rape charges. Alipour recalls the case, and gives a tremendous background on the situation. Check it out!

Some Fernando Torres Magic

If you haven’t seen it yet, this is the pretty sick Torres goal against Blackburn Rovers:

As good as it was, I don’t think it comes close to the Adebayor gem against Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals:

UEFA Champions League Thoughts/Predictions

Villarreal – Arsenal (1:1)

The draw certainly helps Arsenal, and is probably a result they’ll be happy with. This was a decent game and I enjoyed watching it. I like Arsenal’s style. Their aggressive attack makes them one of my personal favorites. I think they had a good draw, as Villarreal is a good opponent, judging by the first leg. I say they advance easily after the second leg.

Manchester United – Porto (2:2)

You talk about a surprise! I’m sure very few people expected a draw here, and if you were brave to predict the X and not the 1 here, there’s no way in hell your score guess would have been 2:2. Porto took it to Manchester early, focused on counter-attacks and tried their hardest to break down Manchester’s game. It didn’t work. United had their way for the most part, were always attacking, and played better. However, they were missing the finishing factor. There were a few good ideas, but no final result. With Berbatov back in leg 2, things are looking up. Sir Alex also knows how to prep his boys when it comes to a tough match, and make no mistake about it — the game in Portugal isn’t going to be easy. I still say Man-U advances.

Liverpool – Chelsea (1:3)

Speaking of surprises, how about this one?! Liverpool had been on top of the world, with some amazing results heading into this huge match, but Chelsea killed all their momentum. The home-away factor doesn’t play as big a role here since both teams are from England and have faced each other hundreds of times on both fields. Liverpool needs a huge win over a top team, and most would say that’s hard to accomplish. However, that’s exactly what Rafa’s boys had been doing before the match with Chelsea. Not to mention their comeback wonder against AC Milan in the final a few years back! I think this is the most interesting rematch of all, but I just can’t see Chelsea allowing three goals on their home field. I’m going with Chelsea.

Barcelona – Bayern (4:0)

I didn’t see this coming after Bayern’s goal fiasco in the previous round. Barcelona seems to be on a mission with Leo Messi, Eto’o, and company looking great, but how long can the Spaniards hang? I think if anyone stands a chance against the four English teams, it’s Barca!

Absolutely Incredible Goal!

If you’re a fan of hockey you’ll love this. If you’re not a fan of hockey, you’ll still enjoy this. It’s from a friendly exhibition between Sweden and Switzerland. It’s soccer-inspired and a first:

Top 10 Awkward Sports Moments

To Be a Sports Fan in L.A.

It’s no secret to those of you who follow this blog, and to those of you who know me personally, that I love basketball. It’s one of my favorite sports, and I love writing about it. I realized today, that it’s quite a special treat to be a basketball fan in Los Angeles. I think we, as human beings, often take things for granted in life, and it hit me today that I’m lucky to love basketball and live here.

You see, this is a very unique city when it comes to sports in general. We used to have a football team that moved out, and we still haven’t filled the gap. Other than that major hole, however, we’re covered… and then some!

Basketball — Los Angeles is the only city with two NBA teams. On top of that, they play in the same arena, as the Lakers and Clippers share Staples Center.
Baseball — The Los Angeles Dodgers are a city attraction, while 40 miles away, the Anaheim Angels can be considered “the second L.A. team,” though we don’t all get along.
Hockey — If the Clips and Lakers weren’t enough, Staples Center has to make room on the schedule for hockey, as the Los Angeles Kings play their NHL matches there. Again, the Anaheim Ducks are only 40 miles away.
Soccer — Los Angeles is the only city that has two teams in Major League Soccer, as Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA share The Home Depot Center in Carson, an L.A. suburb.

Not enough to convince you of the power of Los Angeles when it comes to sports? I can probably add by telling you that it’s the only city which will have three representatives in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, as UCLA, USC, and Cal State Northridge found themselves in the big dance.

Because this is Los Angeles, and we all seem to either have a busy life, or some of us don’t care, you can really take all of this for granted. But if you’re a true sports fan like me, you have to be aware of it. Which is why I feel that I haven’t been grateful enough to have these amazing teams play in my city.

What made me realize all this? I spent my Sunday with friends watching on TV the Lakers play against the Mavericks — an early home game at Staples Center, which started at 12:30 PM and ended at 3 PM. Then, as soon as the game ended, I got in my car and drove to meet up with another friend. You see, we had tickets for the 6:30 PM Clippers/Nets game at… you guessed it – Staples Center.

Only in Los Angeles…

Dustin vs. PlayStation

It is very rare that a TV ad catches my attention, or that I even bother watching ads. The other week, while watching a basketball game on ESPN, the MLB 09 commercial with 2008 American League MVP Dustin Pedroia (Boston Red Sox) aired, and it cracked me up. Most video games or sports commercial can be classified as follows: a) way over the top, either focused on graphics, or hard-to-believe plot of the game that try to convince you it’s the best video game you’ll ever play; b) comedic, only nobody is laughing because the jokes are lame, or simply not funny; c) “pushy” in the sense that you get the feeling if you’re not playing this game, or are unaware of it, you’re just not “cool” in today’s world.

Thus, you see, it’s rare that we get a good sports video game commercial that doesn’t try to impress too hard, or talk you down for not playing. This is a simple ad, talks baseball (which is smart because if you’re buying this game, odds are you’re a baseball fan), and really is funny. Check it out:

Cowboys Rid of T.O.; Manny Stays in L.A.

Well, after a few months of speculation, Manny Ramirez and the closest human being (Scott Boras) to the devil finally inked a deal with the Dodgers. It’s a two-year agreement worth $45 million, and Manny has the option to opt-out of the contract in his second year, which is the clause the two sides couldn’t agree on for a few days.

I saw this coming. The Dodgers had no choice but to sign Manny. With all the moves they made over winter, and with the way the roster looked before Spring Training, it was obvious a big name was on the way, and management was saving up for Manny. Ramirez turned the Dodgers around with his unique positive persona, laid-back approach, and strong bat. It’s funny how something like a “laid-back approach” can actually be thought of as a positive to keep a player and pay him so much money, but that really is the case here. It was after Manny’s arrival in L.A. that the other players on the team calmed down. They needed to relax. They needed to calm their nerves and focus on playing — the Dodgers’ only problem before Manny’s arrival was their weird lack of focus and stagger. That all changed when the slugger showed his face at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles is also the perfect destination for Ramirez, who has become a quick hit with the fans here. His persona matches the city, and history shows that keeping Manny happy usually makes your team a title contender.

Things weren’t as positive for Terrel Owens, as the Dallas Cowboys gave him the boot a couple of days ago. Today, T.O. finds himself playing for the Bills, as the two sides agreed on a one-year, $6.5 million deal. While football is not one of my top three favorite sports, I enjoy the Cowboys. I think this is a positive move for them. Having in mind all the negativity that has surrounded the team in the last few seasons, it really is time for a change. From the injury troubles to “Pacman” Jones, all we’ve seen as of late from the Cowboys is drama, ego, and lack of desire. They definitely need a makeover. I think that getting rid of Owens was a great start, but being realistic, I also know no change is coming anytime soon with this team. Ah, one can always hope!

Favorite SuperBowl 2009 Commercials

I feel somewhat letdown from Bud Light this year. Not that their ads were bad, I guess I expected too much. Doritos really seems to be on the money with their SuperBowl ad contest, where people submit ads and the winners air. In no particular order, here are my favorite ads this year: