Yes, it was a great Super Bowl, perhaps the greatest ever. Right up there with Bengals-Niners, Broncos-Packers, and Titans-Rams. And yes, because I am a closeted Dolphins fan, I had no choice but to root for the Giants. And I was jumping up and down hysterically when David Tyree made the greatest catch in football history, on what was the greatest play in pro football history. (The third best play in football history over all: Number one is here, and number two is here.) But I have to admit, when it was all over, I had kind of a sick feeling in my stomach. Had it been the Packers, I would have been overjoyed, but these are the Giants, and I can only be but so thrilled when they win a Super Bowl.

Nonetheless, it was a great time. My dad and his college roommate get together every year and bet a bottle of whiskey on the Super Bowl (they’ve watched 37 of the past 39 Super Bowls together), and my dad had the Patriots this year, which he thought was a sure thing. We had clams and oysters and homemade hot wings and DiBruno Bros. cheese that I bought down, as well as a Super Bowl cake I got from Isgro’s (above). All in all, a fine way to spend a birthday.

As for the commercials, my favorites were the Will Ferrell commercial, the Charles Barkley one, and the one for the Planter’s nuts when the nerdy girl has guys all checking her out because she rubbed the peanuts on her wrists and her cleavage. And can I just say for the record that I am over animals in commercials. Talking and dancing animals have been played out for like ten years. Please stop! And I hate talking babies! Seriously, they did a movie about this 20 freaking years ago. The joke is over! It’s hack! Please! Anyways, if you’d like to vote for your favorite commercial, go here. Most of the ones that people are voting for are the stupidest ones, which really makes me upset. Man, why do I let this piss me off so much?

This is terrible. All we can hope is that he is the next Barry Zito. Good job, Twins. Sure you couldn’t have gotten some more worthless junk in return? Pathetic. Here’s the reaction in Minnesota. They are trying to stay positive: The Twins have been known to surprise us before. Who would have thought that the prospects received back in the Frank Viola trade would help push them to a World Series championship just two years later? Who could have known that the prospects brought over in the Chuck Knoblauch deal would help form the foundation for putting them back into contention after a horrible dry spell in the late ’90s? Needless to say, they are euphoric in New York. And here in Philly, we are obviously miserable. The sounds of our “small splashes” never sounded so small. This is a tidalwave, causing a flood that will submerge the rest of the National League East for six or seven years. Baseball’s best pitcher belongs to the Mets, set to anchor the rotation for years to come while canceling out our best hitters head-to-head. The Mets are trying to build a champion, the Phillies are trying to screw over their best player while telling us we should be excited about Pedro Feliz.

Later in the interview, TO said, “I always had a good relationship with my quarterbacks.” That’s not a joke. He actually said that. It reminds me of the time that Hitler said, “I’ve always had a good relationship with dwarves and gypsies.”

Wow, another year, another amazing National Championship game! Boy, I can’t wait until Ohio State beats up on a pathetic Big Ten (3-5 in bowls this year) again next year and then gets crushed by another SEC team in the championship game for the 3rd straight year. Won’t that be awesome? Oh well, as long as USC and LSU don’t settle this on the field, but in a computer (the same computer that thought that Ohio State was #1 in the country going into last nights game), I’m happy. Because that’s what sports should be all about: determining a champion via computers and voters, not on the field of play. Thank you BCS!

Look out, National League! There is one team that is going to be not quite as good as it was last year, but will still win at least 80 games! That’s right, the Philadelphia Phillies, firm believers in tradition, have decided to pick up a few more pieces of rusty metal off the scrap heap. What looks like JD Durbin, sounds like JD Durbin, and puts about as much fear into opposing hitters as JD Durbin? That would be his brother, Chad Durbin, who is now a Philadelphia Phillie. Dontrelle Willis? Puh-leez. Johan Santana? Whatever. We’ve got Chad Durbin. That’s why this is one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, because they always are doing whatever it takes to build a champion. Speaking of building a champion, we have a new centerfielder to replace Rowand! Geoff Jenkins. He’s older than Rowand, and not as good as Rowand, but that’s OK, because he’s cheaper than Rowand, and that’s what this franchise is all about. Keeping it cheap. 4th largest market in baseball. 15th highest payroll. Jenkins actually isn’t that bad, though. He does give you a little pop in the outfield (21 HRs last year), but his BA was only .255. But he’s definitely not as good as Rowand.

UPDATE: Looks like CNBC was wrong about Pujols and Nunez. Those two homers Nunez hit total in the last two years cannot be attributed to illegal steroid use. Still got some big names though. Everybody is linking to the PDF of the report, like I’m gonna read a 409 page document on my computer. The hell with that. I’m gonna wait for the movie to come out. Here’s the full list on Deadspin.

Rowand’s gone. The San Francisco Giants came in with a 5 year deal, something the Phillies simply couldn’t match. It is an absolute shame to let the guy go, although I really think it is folly to sign him to a five year deal. He’ll be 36 by the time the contract runs out. Pretty old for a center fielder. That being said, this is no bueno. Rowand was a true gamer who laid it all on the line every single game, and the difference in intensity between when he was the leader of that outfield and when Abreu ran it is night and day. The full speed run into the fence is a Philadelphia legend that will improve with time, as when we’re old timers, we’ll tell anyone who will listen that “The Phillies once had a centerfielder who broke every bone above his waist to catch a fly ball.” This leaves the Phils with Shane Victorino in center and Jayson Werth in right. Lots of hustle but no power and no leadership. The Lidge move was nice, but this team will start the upcoming season worse than it ended last year unless they make another big move. And really, what move can they make? I don’t see any exciting free agents.
RELATED: Beerleaguer chimes in.

None of the announcers talked about this, but this was one of the sketchiest plays I’ve ever seen. Watch after Lawrence Maroney catches the ball and the Ravens cornerback at the top of the screen, #22 Samari Rolle, comes into hit him at the fifty yard line, and then decides not to. He just runs alongside him for 15 yards without ever trying to tackle him. Was he in on the fix or just the biggest sissy in NFL history? I’ve never seen anything like this.

It is amazing that the Eagles have had a chance in so many close games and blown almost every one in the final minute of the 4th quarter. This team is awfully reminiscent of the 2007 Mets. Consider:

• Week 1 vs. Green Bay: The team muffs two punts, including one in Packer territory with less than a minute to go, to lose 19-16.
• Week 2 vs. Washington: Eagles drive deep into Redskin territory in the final minute with a chance to tie, but turn the ball over on downs.
• Week 7 vs. Bears: Give up a 97 yard drive to Brian freaking Griese and allow a touchdown with :11 seconds to play to lose the game.
• Week 12 vs. Patriots: Driving for winning score with a little over three minutes left when AJ Feeley throws a terrible pass into the back of the end zone and they lose, 31-28.
• Week 13 vs. Seahawks: Team has the ball at Seahawk 13 with under thirty seconds to play, when AJ Feeley decides to throw the ball to Lofa Tatupu for the 3rd time.

Of these five chokes, McNabb can be directly blamed for maybe one, the Redskin loss. But, oh yeah, he’s the main problem for this team, the reason they’re so bad. Get him out of here. Oh, here’s another interesting stat. McNabb has thrown 6 interceptions this season in 10 games, Feeley has thrown 9 INTs in 3 games. But no, Eagle fans, you’re right, we’ll be better off without McNabb. Good point.