Super Farce LI(E): They. DIDN'T!!!!

First off, before I do anything, thank you to Romano's Pizzeria of my hometown (they have several locations in nearby cities) for being a gracious host.  Shade on the pricy side, but there you go.

Before I get to the obvious, some other thoughts that would've centered this post had the NFL not pulled the most obvious shenanigans in history!!!

• Shocked at the very conciliatory and unifying tone the NFL and FOX Television took to the broadcast.  From the pre-game "tradition" to Johnny Cash's "Old, Ragged Flag" to the salute to the Hall of Famers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Lester Hayes is not well, people...) to multiple commercials preaching tolerance and acceptance in this day and age, even FOX, I think, is getting the picture that President Oompa-Loompa is taking it a bit too goddamned far.
• Lady Gaga is fucking hot.  And very talented.  That is all.
• (Except I damn well hope she didn't land on her microphone in the padded area she jumped into at the end of the show.)
• Commercials were largely nothing to write home about this year.  Several quite funny ones, but nothing of that transcendent Super Bowl level.
• George H.W. Bush is not well.  No, I didn't agree with all, or even remotely most, of his policies.  He is not long for this Earth, but at least has attempted to carry the legacy of being a former President very well.
• Luke Bryan appeared off on several of his notes on the National Anthem.
• Interesting they included several Black singers from "Hamilton" in the presentation, singing "America the Beautiful".

And, as the game started, it really looked like they were going with the New Blood and that the Patriots were going to be doghoused out.

• Early bad no-call benefiting New England on a Late Hit.
• Another no-call after the first touchdown benefiting Atlanta on pass interference.
• Most of the refereeing was on point in this.  There were several close calls on the sidelines and on other regards of catches and I didn't see a one where the call was egregiously bad except maybe those two..
• ... and the fact that three consecutive New England first downs on a first half drive were awarded by defensive holding calls (though all three were correct! -- the only question is how often that happens on every such play!!)
• And, with about 2:30 to go in the third quarter, New England is down 28-3, though driving.

And there's where the script kicked in.  I really felt they would have Brady roll it up like a pinball machine to get put next to Michael Jordan on the American sports parthenon.

Nope, they went the other route:

• Touchdown with about 2 minutes to in the third quarter -- Gostkowski bonks the extra point, and it's 28-9 Atlanta.
• Atlanta, after the onside kick and a good pass, gets 2nd and 1 at the NE 32.  Three plays later, (holding penalty, incompletion, sack), its 4th and 19 at the Atlanta 49.  That's one field goal off the boards.  That one makes it 31-9 to start the 4th quarter, and they're pretty much home.
• New England, still looking quite a bit disorganized, somehow stumbles their way into a six-minute, 12-play drive which culminates with a Gostkowski field goal for 28-12.
• First two plays out are runs.  Third and 2 at the Atlanta 35, they...  PASS????? 
• Or at least they try to.  Matt Ryan fumbles (correctly called), and the Patriots get the ball at the Atlanta 25.  Five plays later, Brady to Amendola, plus the two, for 28-20 with six minutes to go.
• So Atlanta passes AGAIN.  And, yes, they get two long passes off to get down to the New England 22 with about four minutes to go and New England has all their timeouts.  At this point, three runs into the line get a 35ish yard field goal attempt to go up 11 with between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 minutes to go, depending on how many of the three timeouts Belicheat wants to save.
• So what happens?  By the end of the sequence, Atlanta is FOURTH AND THIRTY-FIVE at New England's 47!!  Run for -1 should've been OK.  Then a sack, a holding call, and an incompletion.  That's two intentionally botched field goal opportunities.

The ball is now on the New England 9 with about 3 minutes to go and 2 timeouts for Brady.

• Incompletion.
• Incompletion.
• 3rd down pass for 16.
• Incompletion with pass interference on Atlanta not called.
• Pass for 11, out of bounds on the run.
• Pass for 18 with a Tyree-level catch -- confirmed on replay, and the correct call.  Atlanta basically had to challenge it though.
• Pass for 25.
• Two-minute warning.
• Pass for 13.
• Pass for 9
• White with the 1 yard touchdown.
• Brady gets the 2 and we're drawn with 55 seconds left.

So we now already have two pieces of Super Bowl history:  Biggest comeback used to be 10, this one was 25.  And we got the first Super Bowl overtime.  Pats win the toss and take the ball.

• Pass for 7.
• Pass for 12.
• Pass for 19.
• Pass for -3, as Atlanta did snuff out that swing pass.
• Pass for 15.
• Pass for 10.
• Interference on Atlanta in the end zone -- good call.
• Incomplete.
• And White for the game-winner, and Brady is now alongside Michael Jordan as on the American sports Parthenon as the GOATs (and Foolish and Wretched Rigged One-Dimensional Ballhogs).

Sorry to all the Falcon fans and Cheatriot-haters to have to read this:

The Atlanta Falcons participated in throwing Super Bowl LI at the orders of the National Football League to install Tom Brady as next to Jordan in American sports. 

What you saw tonight would be IMPOSSIBLE without the cooperation on every conceivable level on the part of the Falcons.  And, as long as it's on the league's direction, it's completely above-table and legal.

At least two different easy opportunities to put the game out of reach with field goals, intentionally botched to facilitate the 25-point comeback.  Several different passes where passing made no abject sense, especially since there was success on the ground against the Patriot defense!

But that was never the idea.  Atlanta was not supposed to win this Super Bowl.  Tom Brady was.  Bill Belicheat was.

Oh, and the overtime touchdown?  New England covered the -3 and the game went over!

You got suckered and the only thing I have to say on it is that I am stunned they actually went through with it in this manner!!!