CARDS SEE RED ON REFS
TAMPA, Fla. – The Cardinals were called for 11 penalties – exceeded only twice in Super Bowl history – for 106 yards, which is the third-highest total in Super Bowl history. The Cards weren’t happy about it.
“I’m already sad about the defeat, I don’t need the NFL to go in my pocket by commenting on the officiating,” WR Larry Fitzgerald said.
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With 377 yards passing, Kurt Warner has the three top yards passing performances in Super Bowl history. His 1,156 career passing yards in the post-season broke Joe Montana‘s record of 1,142 . . . Fitzgerald finished up the most productive post-season in NFL history with 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns. Those are all records.
Mike Tomlin, 36, became the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl . . . Prior to James Harrison‘s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, the longest play in Super Bowl history was a 99-yard kickoff return by Desmond Howard of the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI vs. the Patriots. Teams that have scored on an interception return are now 9-0 in the Super Bowl . . . Strange but true: The Cardinals became the 12th consecutive NFC team to win the coin toss.
Joe Namath, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Jets’ stirring upset victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III, was given the honor of carrying the Lombardi Trophy onto the field for the post-game ceremony.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt made an interesting choice after his team won the coin toss. He deferred to the second half, opting to give the Steelers the ball first in order to get it to start the third quarter.
Whisenhunt’s successful challenge of Ben Roethlisberger‘s first-quarter TD run marked the first time a challenge overturned a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Patriots S Rodney Harrison surely irked Giants fans when he said this during NBC’s pre-game show: “Unlike last year’s Super Bowl, this year’s Super Bowl will be won by the best team, and that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
