Super Bowl LVII

[RiverDog]

I'm wondering, how many people besides myself have watched all 56 Super Bowls live? I could go back even further and add a few the NFL and AFL Championship Games, including the Ice Bowl and the Packer's Bart Starr's QB sneak that beat Don Meredith's Cowboys.

A couple things you might not know about the first Super Bowl. First of all, it was far from a sell-out, held at the LA Memorial Coliseum, 61,000 paid attendance in a stadium that sat 90,000. Secondly, since both leagues had their own television contracts, the game was televised live by both CBS and NBC. And thirdly, it wasn't called the "Super Bowl." It wasn't called that until a year or so later when AFL founder Lamar Hunt saw his kids playing with a toy called a "Super Ball", a very dense ball slightly larger than a golf ball that would bounce so 40-50' high if you threw it hard enough onto pavement. Super Bowl 1 was called the AFL-NFL Championship Game.

It didn't become a traditional event for quite some time. For the first 8-10 years or so, there was no such thing as Super Bowl parties. My parents started one that lasted some 35 consecutive years with the same group of friends until my mom passed away in 2014. Mom got a chance to see our Seahawks win their first and only Lombardi and was spared the pain of SB 49.

There was a period of time when Super Bowls were not very competitive. Between SB VIII in 1974 and Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, there were just four Super Bowls that were decided by one score. By contrast, in this century over half of the SB's played, 12 out of 23 which includes last year's game, were decided by a touchdown or less.

Any Super Bowl stories that anyone wants to share? And please, let's not kick that ultimate dead horse named XL.

[Stream Hawk]

The Super Bowl has always been fun to watch. My first SB memory was the 49ers vs dolphins. My mom told my brother and I about Joe Montana. I couldn’t believe someone was named after Montana!

I have pretty much watched every game (with passion) since. Haven’t been to a Super Bowl watch party since before Covid. Love a good close game. I really don’t like blowouts - unless of course we are talking about Super Bowl 48!

[Hawktawk]

I probably watched my first one in 79 or 80. I have watched every one since , enthusiastically , picked a team to root for each time . With the way the league has gone this year , particularly officiating but really the whole direction under Goodell making it all about the money and zero about the fans ( here in America )I’m just about fed up .

I don’t want to hijack the thread with a Debbie downer rant but I have zero interest in this game . Less than zero .

It’s kind of scary honestly . I’ve had a passion for NFL ball and played it out in this forum for over 20 years . I’m a passionate man , a huge hawks fan but I’m watching tomorrow to avoid a fight with my wife who has already bought the stuff for the party . I have no other motivation.
Help me out Hawkers . What is wrong with me ?

[c_hawkbob]

I've seen them all, ours were the best and the worst of them.

[Aseahawkfan]

Nope. I don't care near as much if Seattle isn't there.

Main ones I used to watch was the Cowboys of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s.

Frisco during Joe Montana.

The New York Giants during the LT days. LT was a force to watch.

Chicago when Ditka was coach and that Bears defense was brutal.

[RiverDog]

The other aspect of Super Bowl Sunday is the informal gambling. My mother used to run a pool at her Super Bowl parties where everyone would chip in $10 or $20 for a score: Add the last digit of each team's score, 10 numbers 0-9, and whoever is on that number at the end of each quarter wins 25% of the pot. It's a great way to liven up the game, adds for some comedy as someone is always on a score then have a kicker miss an extra point or something.

At work, one of the mechanics used to run a game that most of us are familiar with, a 100 square grid, with one team on the vertical axis and another on the horizonal, pay $5 or $10 per square then draw numbers for each team from 0-9. Ironically, I won $250 on XL as I had 1-0 Steelers, probably the most bittersweet contest I've ever won.

And years before XL, the shift I was managing decided to run a Super Bowl board with a $10 per square game/$1000 payout, $250 per quarter, that I agreed to be the 'bank' for, collected the money, kept the board in my office, ran off copies of the board once. After the game, the HR manager called me into the office and told me that he didn't want to say anything earlier ruin all the fun for everyone, but not to get involved in managing it again as over a certain amount that we had gone over, you have to register with the state gambling commission.

[Hawktawk]

I've seen them all, ours were the best and the worst of them.

Yes the very best and 2 of the very worst for far different reasons . The Lombardi was amazing but those teams left a lot of hardware on the table .

[Hawktawk]

The other aspect of Super Bowl Sunday is the informal gambling. My mother used to run a pool at her Super Bowl parties where everyone would chip in $10 or $20 for a score: Add the last digit of each team's score, 10 numbers 0-9, and whoever is on that number at the end of each quarter wins 25% of the pot. It's a great way to liven up the game, adds for some comedy as someone is always on a score then have a kicker miss an extra point or something.

At work, one of the mechanics used to run a game that most of us are familiar with, a 100 square grid, with one team on the vertical axis and another on the horizonal, pay $5 or $10 per square then draw numbers for each team from 0-9. Ironically, I won $250 on XL as I had 1-0 Steelers, probably the most bittersweet contest I've ever won.

And years before XL, the shift I was managing decided to run a Super Bowl board with a $10 per square game/$1000 payout, $250 per quarter, that I agreed to be the 'bank' for, collected the money, kept the board in my office, ran off copies of the board once. After the game, the HR manager called me into the office and told me that he didn't want to say anything earlier ruin all the fun for everyone, but not to get involved in managing it again as over a certain amount that we had gone over, you have to register with the state gambling commission.

Fans weren’t the only ones gambling at XL so I hear . It’s far easier to stomach 49 and that’s very hard to do . Oh whoops no talk of XL. My perspective 17 years later is molded in large part by that day .

[RiverDog]

Oh whoops no talk of XL. My perspective 17 years later is molded in large part by that day .

You can talk about XL, just not in this thread. Start another one dedicated to it if it's that important to you. I did say 'please' in the OP, so hopefully you'll respect that request.

[Stream Hawk]

The other aspect of Super Bowl Sunday is the informal gambling. My mother used to run a pool at her Super Bowl parties where everyone would chip in $10 or $20 for a score: Add the last digit of each team's score, 10 numbers 0-9, and whoever is on that number at the end of each quarter wins 25% of the pot. It's a great way to liven up the game, adds for some comedy as someone is always on a score then have a kicker miss an extra point or something.

At work, one of the mechanics used to run a game that most of us are familiar with, a 100 square grid, with one team on the vertical axis and another on the horizonal, pay $5 or $10 per square then draw numbers for each team from 0-9. Ironically, I won $250 on XL as I had 1-0 Steelers, probably the most bittersweet contest I've ever won.

And years before XL, the shift I was managing decided to run a Super Bowl board with a $10 per square game/$1000 payout, $250 per quarter, that I agreed to be the 'bank' for, collected the money, kept the board in my office, ran off copies of the board once. After the game, the HR manager called me into the office and told me that he didn't want to say anything earlier ruin all the fun for everyone, but not to get involved in managing it again as over a certain amount that we had gone over, you have to register with the state gambling commission.

I remember watching XL at our friends house in Portland. We lived in Portland and had some budding friendships with some Indy hipsters. There was some sort of football square pool for the game; I didn’t participate because my team was in it. When Pittsburgh scored their last touchdown, this twentysomething jumped up and down in delight. I told him to sit the F down and went outside and pouted.

[RiverDog]

The other aspect of Super Bowl Sunday is the informal gambling. My mother used to run a pool at her Super Bowl parties where everyone would chip in $10 or $20 for a score: Add the last digit of each team's score, 10 numbers 0-9, and whoever is on that number at the end of each quarter wins 25% of the pot. It's a great way to liven up the game, adds for some comedy as someone is always on a score then have a kicker miss an extra point or something.

At work, one of the mechanics used to run a game that most of us are familiar with, a 100 square grid, with one team on the vertical axis and another on the horizonal, pay $5 or $10 per square then draw numbers for each team from 0-9. Ironically, I won $250 on XL as I had 1-0 Steelers, probably the most bittersweet contest I've ever won.

And years before XL, the shift I was managing decided to run a Super Bowl board with a $10 per square game/$1000 payout, $250 per quarter, that I agreed to be the 'bank' for, collected the money, kept the board in my office, ran off copies of the board once. After the game, the HR manager called me into the office and told me that he didn't want to say anything earlier ruin all the fun for everyone, but not to get involved in managing it again as over a certain amount that we had gone over, you have to register with the state gambling commission.

I remember watching XL at our friends house in Portland. We lived in Portland and had some budding friendships with some Indy hipsters. There was some sort of football square pool for the game; I didn’t participate because my team was in it. When Pittsburgh scored their last touchdown, this twentysomething jumped up and down in delight. I told him to sit the F down and went outside and pouted.

That was the irony for me. After throwing down greenbacks on those boards on various games for some 30 years, XL was the first time that I had won one, yet I was denied the joy of celebrating it. I would have gladly given that money back if it meant the Seahawks would have won.

[Hawktawk]

Oh whoops no talk of XL. My perspective 17 years later is molded in large part by that day .

“ rd
You can talk about XL, just not in this thread. Start another one dedicated to it if it's that important to you. I did say 'please' in the OP, so hopefully you'll respect that request.[/quote]

Yeah I owe you an apology . Although it’s unusual that a super bowl thread forbids discussion of our teams first . But it’s no the Op. on reflection I’ll watch the game and be thankful for family and friends and time together

[RiverDog]

Oh whoops no talk of XL. My perspective 17 years later is molded in large part by that day .

You can talk about XL, just not in this thread. Start another one dedicated to it if it's that important to you. I did say 'please' in the OP, so hopefully you'll respect that request.

Yeah I owe you an apology . Although it’s unusual that a super bowl thread forbids discussion of our teams first . But it’s no the Op. on reflection I’ll watch the game and be thankful for family and friends and time together

No apology necessary. but I appreciate your acknowledgment. It's customary that the author of the OP has the right to determine the direction of the thread and I just didn't want it to go off on that tangent.

It'll just be my wife and I today. I've been trying to lose a little weight and I'm limiting myself on the number of functions involving beer and junk food, so I didn't invite anyone over for it.

[RiverDog]

And to add a little controversy to the game:

Indigenous activists to protest Kansas City Chiefs name, ‘tomahawk chop’

Native American groups are expected to protest the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, calling for the AFC champions to drop their name and logo as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57.

Dancers from Indigenous Enterprise performed at Monday’s Opening Night festivities, becoming the first Native Americans to perform at the annual media mega event.

In a strange juxtaposition, they took the stage minutes after Kansas City fans in attendance at the Footprint Center joined together in a loud rendition of their “tomahawk chop” chant.

https://nypost.com/2023/02/12/kansas-ci ... activists/

I'm not trying to start a debate, just noting that it's going to be an interesting side show to the game.

[Hawktawk]

I’m going to pull eagles which signals their doom . Really hope there isn’t an officiating controversy but betting there will be in spite of officiating being “ the best it’s ever been “
And sure enough …….

Through an analysis lens taking out the emotion as much as possible it was a remarkable performance by both teams . In the first half KC had no answer for hurts and Philly . Had Hurts not had his Dave Krieg moment dropping the ball without contact his performance would already be considered one of the great Super Bowl performances . 2 records set. On their final drive Hurts imposed his will on KC . They knew he was running and still couldn’t stop it . The huge drive in the third quarter that led to a field goal was a huge boost to KC . They hit a huge punt return . The field I think we can agree on was terrible and according to a post game analysis it was far more of a problem with Philly defenders losing their footing throughout the game . No tinfoil hat there . As for the call , another pro ref says don’t call it . I always heard it’s if the player is impeded or redirected . But I’ll set that aside . When asked about the flag Bradbury said he did grab on “ I thought he would let me slide “ why would he say that ? Why did he “ think “ thr ref would let it go ?
Because as has been pointed out he didn’t flag more physical coverage throughout the game . The closest comparison is an umpire . What is the strike zone today ? He was set up . Tinfoil hat ? Naw not saying it’s intentional . Maybe he did miss it the first few times . Although the excuse making for guys making 250 part time and now they are Stevie wonder till the end of the game ?

The field prevented it from potentially being an all time game . The call made it feel like a waste of my time . Could have and should have are 2 different things .

[RiverDog]

My wife put us on a 28 day cleanse diet on Monday . It’s straight veggies first 2 days and mostly veggies every meal after . Poultry and fish , very little beef , no dairy or bread . No caffeine for 2 days . She informed me of it when I returned from a week at Barrett Jackson . If someone had told me I’d do this id have said no way but it was my wife so it was yes way . I felt like passing out first 2 days , splitting headache . Day 3 I felt a lot better . Right now I feel great and I’ve lost 15 lbs in 7 despite cheating and having a few Sam Adams watching the zags . Kind of like the Hawks I have to have a buzz to watch it, especially this year .

276 Monday morning . 261 this morning . I’m cooking ribs today and yes I will be drinking some be but I’m getting back on that program Monday and sticking it out for 28 days . 7 down 21 to go .

I’m going to pull eagles which signals their doom . Really hope there isn’t an officiating controversy but betting there will be in spite of officiating being “ the best it’s ever been “ I guess if the Indians etc redskins had to change why not the chiefs ? Hunts have a little more horsepower then snydler?

That's fantastic, HT! It doesn't hurt to break training once a week so long as you get back on the wagon right away. They actually encourage you to do so as its supposedly a psychological positive to have something to look forward to.

I'm mildly obese, about 30 pounds overweight. I had a close friend pass away two weeks ago, died unexpectedly of a massive stroke, plus I just had a visit with a new primary care provider and he told me that I was developing a hernia in the center of my stomach due in part to being overweight. The combination of those two events has thrown a bit of a scare into me, caused me to be a little more conscious of my health. I haven't gone cold turkey, just cut out the in-between meal snacks and try to stop eating at dinner when I'm full rather than stuffing myself. I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks.

The rationale for changing the Redskins name was that it was considered derogatory. The Chiefs mascot does not have that same distinction as it's used in other parts of our society (police chief, fire chief, etc). I guess any reference whatsoever to a native American is derogatory.

I'll stop with that remark. Like I said, I don't want to turn it into a debate over nicknames, but it would be a good topic for another thread.

[Hawktawk]

Moses lake Chiefs changed name to mavericks to much consternation in this red community . It’s a matter of time for chiefs . I’ll be done as well .

[RiverDog]

I just saw this tweet:

Holy crap. Half of Philadelphia is currently experiencing a cable and Internet outage and Comcast/Xfinity are now saying it may not be back up until 6pm

https://twitter.com/orencamera/status/1 ... 7543361536

Given that the City of Brotherly Love once pelted Santa Claus with snowballs, that place is going to burn if they don't fix their network problems.

[NorthHawk]

It’s the emblem and the tomahawk chop and all the other bs that goes along with it, not the name chief.

[Stream Hawk]

OK I somehow managed to get upset at this game. I do not feel that final penalty should have been called. I do understand it might have been sort of illegal, but way too much consequence in that moment to call that foul. Let them play! Mahomes overthrew him by 5 or 6 yards. Barely touching him does not impede a route that much. I will never give KC/Mahomes full credit for that Super Bowl win.

However, Philly definitely did not stop them on defense. Pretty disappointed in their “amazing” defense. Luckily, I’m not a Philly fan!

[Aseahawkfan]

Now we can get on to the draft that I actually care about.

[mykc14]

OK I somehow managed to get upset at this game. I do not feel that final penalty should have been called. I do understand it might have been sort of illegal, but way too much consequence in that moment to call that foul. Let them play! Mahomes overthrew him by 5 or 6 yards. Barely touching him does not impede a route that much. I will never give KC/Mahomes full credit for that Super Bowl win.

However, Philly definitely did not stop them on defense. Pretty disappointed in their “amazing” defense. Luckily, I’m not a Philly fan!

Yeah I don't think a flag should have been thrown there. Pretty frustrating.

[trents]

When you look at all 60 minutes, it was a very evenly played game. KC obviously made some better adjustments during half-time than did the Eagles. Some things that stood out to me as turning points:
1. Hurts' fumble in the red zone.
2. The blown coverage by Philly in the second half where the KC receiver split out to the right, faked a move back toward the inside but then continued untouched for a TD in the right side of the end zone. The Philly defender bit too hard on the inside fake and took himself out of the play.
3. The adjustments KC made at halftime that got their offense moving and slowed the Philly offense down. In the second half, KC receivers were repeatedly getting very open. KC always seems to get receivers open. They are uncanny in that regard. They must have some pretty ingenious offensive sets.

[RiverDog]

OK I somehow managed to get upset at this game. I do not feel that final penalty should have been called. I do understand it might have been sort of illegal, but way too much consequence in that moment to call that foul. Let them play! Mahomes overthrew him by 5 or 6 yards. Barely touching him does not impede a route that much. I will never give KC/Mahomes full credit for that Super Bowl win.

However, Philly definitely did not stop them on defense. Pretty disappointed in their “amazing” defense. Luckily, I’m not a Philly fan!

Yeah I don't think a flag should have been thrown there. Pretty frustrating.

Agreed. It was very ticky tack.

I'm waiting for Hawktawk to weigh in on the Jell-O field. The gall of Goodell to send Philly all that way only to play in a swamp.

But in all seriousness, there's always been problems with that field in Glendale. It's the world's first retractable field. I've always wondered if they had to water it excessively in the hot Arizona summer to keep it green, and that the over watering didn't permit the root base to grow deep enough to provide a stable base. But what do I know. In any event, it ought to stop this call for the league to commit all stadiums to natural grass fields.

[Hawktawk]

OK I somehow managed to get upset at this game. I do not feel that final penalty should have been called. I do understand it might have been sort of illegal, but way too much consequence in that moment to call that foul. Let them play! Mahomes overthrew him by 5 or 6 yards. Barely touching him does not impede a route that much. I will never give KC/Mahomes full credit for that Super Bowl win.

However, Philly definitely did not stop them on defense. Pretty disappointed in their “amazing” defense. Luckily, I’m not a Philly fan!

Yeah I don't think a flag should have been thrown there. Pretty frustrating.

Agreed. It was very ticky tack.

I'm waiting for Hawktawk to weigh in on the Jell-O field. The gall of Goodell to send Philly all that way only to play in a swamp.

But in all seriousness, there's always been problems with that field in Glendale. It's the world's first retractable field. I've always wondered if they had to water it excessively in the hot Arizona summer to keep it green, and that the over watering didn't permit the root base to grow deep enough to provide a stable base. But what do I know. In any event, it ought to stop this call for the league to commit all stadiums to natural grass fields.

Glendale is a one of a kind indoor grass field. It was actually taken outside and brought back in sections in the beginning although may all be retractable now. Heat is not an issue as it is climate controlled when installed keeping soil temperatures well below danger zone numbers of about 100 degrees . It should be a dream job very easy to excel at to make the field perfect .
It seems overwatered and there's no way to know the root zone without pulling a core sample. Maybe they are behind on processes such as aerification and sand top dressing which causes turt to become waterlogged as does excessive sodium. Maybe the amount of time it spends inside without sun or air movement weakens it .Incompetent grounds crew actually, how about that. maintaining that amount of turf would be like being on vacation. I maintain 140 acres in 105 degree heat at times, absolutely beautiful for a fraction of the average stadium budget . I had temperatures over 110 for a week in 2021.

I have absolutely no idea how they can F it up so bad so often. But as a guy who does it for a living if this is the best they can do perfect artificial surfaces. This is not acceptable but to the king Goodell its fine.

It was bad, really bad, one of my beefs with Goodell. Talk about safety all you want when guys are playing on that surface. It blunted the fearsome pass rush of Philly IMO, the D line struggles as much as any unit on that surface. It lowers the quality of the game. Guys falling on the ground. Ridiculous

As for the ticky tack call turning game from 1:50 to tie or win an amazing super bowl assuming Butler makes a 40 yarder to 2 minutes of kneel downs........All I can do is

Sorry eagles it went up your keister this time. Welcome to Goodell hell. Great game Roger. Clown show on jello. We all saw it but fortunately for me i've never watched another SB giving less of a sh@t so I didn't really care much. I will care less and less if this is what we're gonna get.

[RiverDog]

Glendale is a one of a kind indoor grass field. It was actually taken outside and brought back in sections in the beginning although may all be retractable now. Heat is not an issue as it is climate controlled when installed keeping soil temperatures well below danger zone numbers of about 100 degrees . It should be a dream job very easy to excel at to make the field perfect .

It's always been on one giant retractable platform. Most of the time, it's kept outdoors, which is what leads me to believe that it has to be over watered in order to keep it green. As you know, when temperatures get really hot, 100+ degrees, the grass plant will shut down and quit growing in order to protect its root system and the grass blades start to lose their glossy appearance. That's why I don't have to mow as often in the summer as I do in the spring. In potato growing, when it gets over 100 degrees, we actually have to cut back on watering as the plant has quit growing and won't use it, and if you don't cut back on the watering, we'll have potato tubers sitting in water and rotting.

But this field they played on last night was brand new, so it wouldn't have been subjected to the hot summer temperatures. They have a retractable field in the new stadium in Las Vegas, and it doesn't seem to have the same problems this one has. Glendale's field has always been an issue. I can remember Stephen Hauska missing a FG and mentioned that he hates kicking off that field as it was so unstable, and that had to be close to 10 years ago. I've seen lots of games where huge chunks of grass are torn up, another clue that leads me to believe that it's over watered and hasn't developed a good, deep root base.

It seems overwatered and there's no way to know the root zone without pulling a core sample. Maybe they are behind on processes such as aerification and sand top dressing which causes turt to become waterlogged as does excessive sodium. Maybe the amount of time it spends inside without sun or air movement weakens it .Incompetent grounds crew actually, how about that. maintaining that amount of turf would be like being on vacation. I maintain 140 acres in 105 degree heat at times, absolutely beautiful for a fraction of the average stadium budget . I had temperatures over 110 for a week in 2021.

I have absolutely no idea how they can F it up so bad so often. But as a guy who does it for a living if this is the best they can do perfect artificial surfaces.

I'm convinced that it has to be their watering and/or fertilization practices and that it's related to the hot, dry climate in Arizona. They want the field to have a deep green tone to it for aesthetics, and the only way to do that is to keep the grass from going into dormancy.

[Hawktawk]

It's always been on one giant retractable platform. Most of the time, it's kept outdoors, which is what leads me to believe that it has to be over watered in order to keep it green. As you know, when temperatures get really hot, 100+ degrees, the grass plant will shut down and quit growing in order to protect its root system and the grass blades start to lose their glossy appearance. That's why I don't have to mow as often in the summer as I do in the spring. In potato growing, when it gets over 100 degrees, we actually have to cut back on watering as the plant has quit growing and won't use it, and if you don't cut back on the watering, we'll have potato tubers sitting in water and rotting.

But this field they played on last night was brand new, so it wouldn't have been subjected to the hot summer temperatures. They have a retractable field in the new stadium in Las Vegas, and it doesn't seem to have the same problems this one has. Glendale's field has always been an issue. I can remember Stephen Hauska missing a FG and mentioned that he hates kicking off that field as it was so unstable, and that had to be close to 10 years ago. I've seen lots of games where huge chunks of grass are torn up, another clue that leads me to believe that it's over watered and hasn't developed a good, deep root base.

It seems overwatered and there's no way to know the root zone without pulling a core sample. Maybe they are behind on processes such as aerification and sand top dressing which causes turt to become waterlogged as does excessive sodium. Maybe the amount of time it spends inside without sun or air movement weakens it .Incompetent grounds crew actually, how about that. maintaining that amount of turf would be like being on vacation. I maintain 140 acres in 105 degree heat at times, absolutely beautiful for a fraction of the average stadium budget . I had temperatures over 110 for a week in 2021.

I have absolutely no idea how they can F it up so bad so often. But as a guy who does it for a living if this is the best they can do perfect artificial surfaces.

I'm convinced that it has to be their watering and/or fertilization practices and that it's related to the hot, dry climate in Arizona. They want the field to have a deep green tone to it for aesthetics, and the only way to do that is to keep the grass from going into dormancy.

I've done it for 38 years brother. You dont have to flood turf to be green regardless of temperature. Its not potatoes. Its harder on me in the cool weather zone hitting 110 then there where the turf has acclimated.And I dont flood turf.

And what you forget about the heat on that turf is that it spends several days a week indoors at 70% so soil temperatures of 100 or more which is what shuts down/kills grass is easy to manage .

Someone said they put down fresh sod for the game which might explain it all. Sod only has root to the saw cut, maybe 2 inches. It takes a couple weeks minimum to grow any significant roots. Also sod must be watered quite heavily to keep from drying out at the seams and shrinking since it doesn't have the aforementioned roots. Its criminal the amount of sod they put down in this league . They chose appearance over function.
I think by and large the sports field industry lags far behind. Flip over the channel the the Phoenix Waste management open yesterday as I did to see incredible green turf a drive rolls out 50 yards on. Some on greens is a 10th of an inch long stimping 15.

perfectly healthy in that heat 24-7. NFL is bad at turf period.

[RiverDog]

In any event, although last night was the worst I'd ever seen it, they've always had trouble with that field.

Here's an extensive article on it. I didn't copy and paste all of it, but here's the highlights:

The turf is Tahoma 31 and it's among the newer breeds of grass that have been developed with the funding of the United States Golf Association. Tahoma 31 is a mix of two types of Bermuda grasses and rye grass, and it was developed at Oklahoma State University under the watchful eye of Dr. Yanqi Wu. He started the process of creating Tahoma 31 in 2006, when he crossed China Bermuda grass and African Bermuda grass. A year later, the seeds were harvested and the grass was tested and studied all over the country until 2018.

The result was a grass that's good enough for the Super Bowl.

It's a high-quality grass that, compared to other Bermudas, has better tolerances for cold, drought (it uses 10% less water), disease, and wear, and recovers better from traffic, said Cole Thompson, the director of turfgrass and environmental research at the USGA.

For example, normal Bermuda grass would wear out to bare ground after the kind of foot traffic it would face in the leadup to the Super Bowl, said Brian Whitlark, an agronomist in the west region for the USGA. Tahoma 31 won't have an issue holding up to demands of being a Super Bowl field, he added.

When it was time to pick a sod for the game, Ed Mangan, the NFL field director, needed grass that could withstand a week's worth of rehearsals for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows.

"With that extra pressure comes extra things that we need to do," said Mangan, who's working his 35th Super Bowl. "We can't call time out and say, 'Wait, push the game back.' The game is coming. It's on this day and it's going to happen. Kickoff at 4:30 [MST], like it or not, so we have to be ready."

He might be biased but Wu is confident his creation will "perform well" on Sunday.

"We feel excited," Wu said. "That's a very high standard there, so that our grass was selected for that game, we feel excited, honored."

Whitlark took it one more step further.

"It's satisfying and gratifying," he said, "to see a grass that I guarantee it will perform so well on TV."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/356 ... ntal-grass

[NorthHawk]

During the game, Olsen was wondering why they painted the field as that makes it slippery - or at least adds to it.
Then factor in the half time show and even more problems can occur.
But, that's the luck of the draw and the NFL has to get as many eyes on the game they can to maximize or justify the costs of the Broadcast Rights.

In all, it was a fun game to watch. Not having any skin in the game made it less stressful than if there was a team I hated or if the Seahawks were involved.
At least it wasn't a 45-10 score.

[RiverDog]

During the game, Olsen was wondering why they painted the field as that makes it slippery - or at least adds to it.
Then factor in the half time show and even more problems can occur.
But, that's the luck of the draw and the NFL has to get as many eyes on the game they can to maximize or justify the costs of the Broadcast Rights.

In all, it was a fun game to watch. Not having any skin in the game made it less stressful than if there was a team I hated or if the Seahawks were involved.
At least it wasn't a 45-10 score.

Yeah, the traction problems were definitely worse in the painted areas, especially on the NFL logo at midfield. But the entire field was slippery. And speaking of Greg Olsen, I really like him as a color commentator. Lots better than Tony Romo who has a voice that really grates on me.

It was a good game to watch, and like you, I didn't really have a horse in the contest other than I picked the Eagles to win.

[TriCitySam]

All 56, and I would say 50+ haven't been a disappointment to watch. Always seems like the WC rounds become more interesting.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

So, 9 penalties total were called; 6 on PHI - 3 on KC

PHI got: OPI, Illegal Hands on Suh, False Start, Delay of Game, Defensive Offsides, Defensive Holding
KC got: Defensive Offsides, Neutral Zone Infraction, False Start

So, just one penalty called on a defensive player for defensive holding. No other DH or DPI all night for either team. I'm guessing it happened a lot more than just that one time, but not one call, and this one was not particularly blatant.

The whole game, of course, has to be looked at in the aggregate; Eagles had the lead and didn't do enough scoring in the 2nd half, and I have to give Andy Reid a ton of credit in scheming his plays to force PHI's man coverage to pass off (they failed big twice), but they need to call the game the same way all game. That flag marred what could have been a nail-biting finale and secured Mahomes as the new Tom Brady. Point and shout and you'll get your flag.

[Hawktawk]

So, 9 penalties total were called; 6 on PHI - 3 on KC

PHI got: OPI, Illegal Hands on Suh, False Start, Delay of Game, Defensive Offsides, Defensive Holding
KC got: Defensive Offsides, Neutral Zone Infraction, False Start

So, just one penalty called on a defensive player for defensive holding. No other DH or DPI all night for either team. I'm guessing it happened a lot more than just that one time, but not one call, and this one was not particularly blatant.

The whole game, of course, has to be looked at in the aggregate; Eagles had the lead and didn't do enough scoring in the 2nd half, and I have to give Andy Reid a ton of credit in scheming his plays to force PHI's man coverage to pass off (they failed big twice), but they need to call the game the same way all game. That flag marred what could have been a nail-biting finale and secured Mahomes as the new Tom Brady. Point and shout and you'll get your flag.

I thought the hands to the face was wrong . Hands were high but not on the face . I can see how it got called . And the false start by the Cincy guy was a classic point and shout by the defenders . Dude sways a tiny bit . The refs weren’t going to call it .
But right at the end when a call on a ticky tack foul or non call on an egregious obvious foul changes destiny here we go again. When the flag flew it’s ballgame unless Butker misses a cripple . The ref knows that .

It’s really so common . It happened last year in the super bowl too . An even game till the last Ram drive when the entire line minus the center false started by half a second due to a late snap . No call . Then a Cincy linebacker gets a holding call setting up first and goal for the winning TD. He had textbook excellent pass coverage on the play .
I can think of 3 Seahawks losses this year alone where officials decisions in the final minutes determined the outcome . Not sure about you all but I’m sick of it . When the miserable SOB came out and said it’s never been better after championship weekends meltdown it was fuel for the fire . It’s destroying peoples faith in the integrity of the game .

[RiverDog]

Honestly, some of you guys get too hung up on the officiating.

I can't remember who said it, but I was listening to a commentary a week or so before the game and they said that there wouldn't be very many turnovers but that the game would be decided by one, and they were exactly right. The difference in the game is the one scoop and score off of Hurts' fumble. It was the only turnover of the game. Otherwise, Philly won the statistical battle, with more first downs, more yards gained, more TOP, better on 3rd/4th down conversions, etc.

[Hawktawk]

But in the end a call decided it . How is that too hung up on the refs ? There’s a reason they were tied . 2 best teams . I get tired of hearing overcome the bad calls in championship games . Like 2 weeks ago when KC got the free play and a couple of huge obvious no calls on the final drive .

Oh but blame the kid who gets off an uncalled hold for not letting up while Mahomes was flopping like some pussy basketball player for the loss . It’s BS. Call it even . They don’t .

Tainted championship . I officially don’t like KC . Don’t like Kermit Mahomes . Despise the Jackass Kelcie. I give them their due but I don’t like them at all .

[obiken]

But in the end a call decided it . How is that too hung up on the refs ? There’s a reason they were tied . 2 best teams . I get tired of hearing overcome the bad calls in championship games . Like 2 weeks ago when KC got the free play and a couple of huge obvious no calls on the final drive .

Oh but blame the kid who gets off an uncalled hold for not letting up while Mahomes was flopping like some pussy basketball player for the loss . It’s BS. Call it even . They don’t .

Tainted championship . I officially don’t like KC . Don’t like Kermit Mahomes . Despise the Jackass Kelcie. I give them their due but I don’t like them at all .

Wow man your pissed! It never comes down to one call, you know that. What decided this was the vaunted Philly defense was a no show. Mahomy scored on every possession of the 2nd half, and Reed's play calling in the Red Zone showed he is the best coach in the league right now. The ONLY reason the Eagles stayed in this is that JH is way better QB than even his fans thought. As Chuck Knox used to say, crying about refs is losers laments.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

It is clearly a problem. Saints vs Rams divisional round, Rams vs Bengals Super Bowl, Chiefs vs Bengals AFCCG, Chiefs vs Eagles Super Bowl. All the losing teams had the opportunity to play well enough to win despite the inconsistent officiating, that's true, but that doesn't mean the issue isn't valid. On the flip side, why didn't the winners play well enough to not need the call/no call to go in their favor?

The refs need to be consistent throughout the game with what they call and don't call.

[Aseahawkfan]

Eagles had so many broken coverages that allowed Mahomes to hit wide open receivers that the Eagles DC should be fired or at least on the hot seat.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Andy Reid definitely took advantage them on two touchdowns for sure. Forced their man defense to have to pass off coverage and the Eagles failed both times. It seems like it was something that the defenders just have to know to do without communicating instead of just blindly sticking to their pre-snap assignments.

[Aseahawkfan]

Andy Reid definitely took advantage them on two touchdowns for sure. Forced their man defense to have to pass off coverage and the Eagles failed both times. It seems like it was something that the defenders just have to know to do without communicating instead of just blindly sticking to their pre-snap assignments.

Yep. Legion of Boom were great at handing off coverage. You rarely saw that many breaks.