Super Bowl Thread

[myboynoah]

My reasons for pulling for the Ravens:

1. I was Colts fan when I was kid for some reason. Tom Matte was my hero.
2. We lived for over tens years in suburban Maryland after we were married and I loved going to Baltimore. It is an organic city, not at all like DC. We went to Orioles games in old Memorial Stadium and the new Camden Yards. You could still feel the sting of the Colts leaving in Mayflower trucks in the middle of the night. Eat that Robert Irsay.
3. mrs. myboynoah received her nursing degree from University of Maryland and the nursing school was in Baltimore.
4. mrs. myboynoah's parents used to visit us regularly from Tennessee just to go shopping for food in Little Italy.
5. We were there when the Ravens came to Baltimore. I remember the first sweatshirts read "Baltimore Browns."
6. Pitta.
7. Yelling "O" during the national anthem.
8. Baltimore has a Eutaw Street. Awesome.

[FN Phat]

My first MLB game was on the 2nd row, right behind first base. in Camden Yards. The birds were playing the Tejas Rangers. Canseco was in right field and would talk shit all the way from the dugout to the field. every.single.inning. I don't remember what inning it was but there was a routine play on a ball to right and Canseco went to throw the ball to second and lost the grip on the ball. The right side of the stadium went wild (mostly due to the incessant smalk talk from him all game long....up to that point). Jose didn't say a thing to the fans the rest of the game.

I love Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor of B-town. Very found memories of when my wife and I were dating.

[Shaka]

I don't have a dog in this fight, because I dislike both teams about the same, but that was holding on that last 9ers play in the end zone.

But, I guess we gotta send Ray Ray out the right way, just like we did Bettis.

It was a poorly thrown ball that landed five feet out of bounds. Due to the trajectory of the ball on a fade route that ball was uncatchable. (which matters in the NFL as you can't have OPI on an uncatchable ball.) Most likely it was ten feet or higher in the air as it crossed the sideline. I don't care what kind of hops the receiver has he's not going to get up and catch that. You can't expect the ref to bail out the QB on that play when it's 4th down.

Frankly it was poor play call considering the down and distance. He should have put the receivers in the endzone and had CP roll with the option to run or throw.

[CJF]

It was a poorly thrown ball that landed five feet out of bounds. Due to the trajectory of the ball on a fade route that ball was uncatchable. (which matters in the NFL as you can't have OPI on an uncatchable ball.) Most likely it was ten feet or higher in the air as it crossed the sideline. I don't care what kind of hops the receiver has he's not going to get up and catch that. You can't expect the ref to bail out the QB on that play when it's 4th down.

Frankly it was poor play call considering the down and distance. He should have put the receivers in the endzone and had CP roll with the option to run or throw.

Really? I thought the ball was perfectly thrown, the WR just couldn't get there. There was no uncatchable signal that I saw for the refs. I thought the refs just felt like there was contact from both players and the defensive player won that battle.

[Surfah]

It was a poorly thrown ball that landed five feet out of bounds. Due to the trajectory of the ball on a fade route that ball was uncatchable. (which matters in the NFL as you can't have OPI on an uncatchable ball.) Most likely it was ten feet or higher in the air as it crossed the sideline. I don't care what kind of hops the receiver has he's not going to get up and catch that. You can't expect the ref to bail out the QB on that play when it's 4th down.

Frankly it was poor play call considering the down and distance. He should have put the receivers in the endzone and had CP roll with the option to run or throw.

It was a terrible play call. The fade is one of the most difficult plays to convert. And why run it to Crabtree when you have Moss who can go up over just about anyone. Hell I'd throw a fade to VD over Crabtree too.

But you're right. It should have been a rollout with the option to run. Terrible play calling on that entire series.

Kapernick is impressive but the dude needs to work on touch and being able to put some air under the ball. He also needs to work on anticipation, timing and throwing to spots. Right now all he does is throw his fastball to open guys.

[Shaka]

Really? I thought the ball was perfectly thrown, the WR just couldn't get there. There was no uncatchable signal that I saw for the refs. I thought the refs just felt like there was contact from both players and the defensive player won that battle.

If you look you'll notice where the ball landed. It's easy to tell because there is a six foot wide white stripe that rings the filed. A fade that lands that far otb is poorly thrown.

[jay santos]

If you look you'll notice where the ball landed. It's easy to tell because there is a six foot wide white stripe that rings the filed. A fade that lands that far otb is poorly thrown.

It was a worse play call than a throw. It's a low percentage play--certainly not something you run on 4th down from that close unless you've got a lot better personnel advantage. It wasn't a great though, but I wouldn't say it was poorly thrown. I also wouldn't say it was uncatchable.

[Surfah]

It was a worse play call than a throw. It's a low percentage play--certainly not something you run on 4th down from that close unless you've got a lot better personnel advantage. It wasn't a great though, but I wouldn't say it was poorly thrown. I also wouldn't say it was uncatchable.

It needed more air under it. I am not sure it was catchable though even if Crabtree didn't push off. Maybe. Terrible play call. Wrong personnel if you're going to run that. Should have given Kap an option to run. Terrible series all around.

[Harry Tic]

It was a poorly thrown ball that landed five feet out of bounds. Due to the trajectory of the ball on a fade route that ball was uncatchable. (which matters in the NFL as you can't have OPI on an uncatchable ball.) Most likely it was ten feet or higher in the air as it crossed the sideline. I don't care what kind of hops the receiver has he's not going to get up and catch that. You can't expect the ref to bail out the QB on that play when it's 4th down.

Frankly it was poor play call considering the down and distance. He should have put the receivers in the endzone and had CP roll with the option to run or throw.

This is just about a perfect assessment. They should have found a way to capitalize on precisely that skill set of Kaepernick's that bedeviled opposing defenses all year. A touch pass on a fade route was not what they wanted there. It was not a ridiculously absurd call, just the wrong one for what K brings to the table.

[Shaka]

It was a worse play call than a throw. It's a low percentage play--certainly not something you run on 4th down from that close unless you've got a lot better personnel advantage. It wasn't a great though, but I wouldn't say it was poorly thrown. I also wouldn't say it was uncatchable.

I've been the official standing under that play on many occasions. There's no way a ball landing that far otb is going to be caught for a score. The throw on a fade is a high arcing ball and the trajectory simply makes it unworkable when it's thrown that far otb.

As a coach in the spread I've coached on how to throw that ball. It was thrown too far outside.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

It was a worse play call than a throw. It's a low percentage play--certainly not something you run on 4th down from that close unless you've got a lot better personnel advantage. It wasn't a great though, but I wouldn't say it was poorly thrown. I also wouldn't say it was uncatchable.

That may have not been the play call, or at least it was simply one of the options. The Ravens blitzed Ed Reed and Kaepernick panicked and chucked up the ball.

The Niners over thought it when Gore got the ball to the 5. They worried about Baltimore getting the ball back with too much time left and only needing a field goal to win or tie. They needed yardage on first down to get it to the 1 or 2 and then they could have punched it in and not worried about how much time was left.

Also, I imagine one of the more difficult things for a QB to do is to get the ball in the end zone from the 5 yard line when passing the ball. The defense doesn't have much ground to cover and passing the ball becomes much more difficult. Horrendous play calling after that Gore run, they needed to get the ball closer with a pass to the RB or FB and then they would have had three plays to go two yards and their line could have easily pulled it off.

But this was the worst called Super Bowl since that infamous Seattle v. Pittsburgh Super Bowl. There were missed calls going both ways, but defensive holding is defensive holding. And then they missed an egregious hold on the kickoff return, Ed Reed going offsides on the 2 point conversion, etc., etc. The call that I saw that went against the Ravens was the non-call on the hit against Joe Flacco. There was a pattern established of non-calls the entire game and chances are they mostly balanced out -- but Jerome Boger was a questionable pick in the first place and the crew botched it. Also, it's hard to totally complain about the outcome when the Niners were gifted that power outage. There's no way they get back in that game without a 40 minute breather to get their heads together.

[jay santos]

I've been the official standing under that play on many occasions. There's no way a ball landing that far otb is going to be caught for a score. The throw on a fade is a high arcing ball and the trajectory simply makes it unworkable when it's thrown that far otb.

As a coach in the spread I've coached on how to throw that ball. It was thrown too far outside.

Well, maybe you have coached and officiated that play, but I have sat on my couch watching that play just as many times. And I have seen NFL WR's do some pretty ridiculous things. And I don't think it was uncatchable. So there.

[jay santos]

That may have not been the play call, or at least it was simply one of the options. The Ravens blitzed Ed Reed and Kaepernick panicked and chucked up the ball.

The Niners over thought it when Gore got the ball to the 5. They worried about Baltimore getting the ball back with too much time left and only needing a field goal to win or tie. They needed yardage on first down to get it to the 1 or 2 and then they could have punched it in and not worried about how much time was left.

Also, I imagine one of the more difficult things for a QB to do is to get the ball in the end zone from the 5 yard line when passing the ball. The defense doesn't have much ground to cover and passing the ball becomes much more difficult. Horrendous play calling after that Gore run, they needed to get the ball closer with a pass to the RB or FB and then they would have had three plays to go two yards and their line could have easily pulled it off.

But this was the worst called Super Bowl since that infamous Seattle v. Pittsburgh Super Bowl. There were missed calls going both ways, but defensive holding is defensive holding. And then they missed an egregious hold on the kickoff return, Ed Reed going offsides on the 2 point conversion, etc., etc. The call that I saw that went against the Ravens was the non-call on the hit against Joe Flacco. There was a pattern established of non-calls the entire game and chances are they mostly balanced out -- but Jerome Boger was a questionable pick in the first place and the crew botched it. Also, it's hard to totally complain about the outcome when the Niners were gifted that power outage. There's no way they get back in that game without a 40 minute breather to get their heads together.

Not that it mattered, but how about the hold on the punt/safety at the end?

[Jeff Lebowski]

My reasons for pulling for the Ravens tonight.

1. Pitta
2. My auntie and uncle are Ravens season tickets holders and were at the game
3. The older Harbaugh is less douchey

That was pretty much it.

My reasons for pulling for the Ravens:

1. I was Colts fan when I was kid for some reason. Tom Matte was my hero.
2. We lived for over tens years in suburban Maryland after we were married and I loved going to Baltimore. It is an organic city, not at all like DC. We went to Orioles games in old Memorial Stadium and the new Camden Yards. You could still feel the sting of the Colts leaving in Mayflower trucks in the middle of the night. Eat that Robert Irsay.
3. mrs. myboynoah received her nursing degree from University of Maryland and the nursing school was in Baltimore.
4. mrs. myboynoah's parents used to visit us regularly from Tennessee just to go shopping for food in Little Italy.
5. We were there when the Ravens came to Baltimore. I remember the first sweatshirts read "Baltimore Browns."
6. Pitta.
7. Yelling "O" during the national anthem.
8. Baltimore has a Eutaw Street. Awesome.

Wait a minute. Are we supposed to make excuses for cheering for the Ravens?

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Well, maybe you have coached and officiated that play, but I have sat on my couch watching that play just as many times. And I have seen NFL WR's do some pretty ridiculous things. And I don't think it was uncatchable. So there.

I recall that ball bouncing a couple feet away from Crabtree and he has excellent hands. Also, who knows where he would have been without the hold that continued after five yards.