Superbowl XLIII Most Valuable Player Debate
The Ever Lasting MVP Debate in Sports, This One For Superbowl 43
Feb 4, 2009
The MVP award (Most Valuable Player) is awarded to the player that is judged to be most important and critical for his or her team in order for the team to achieve the success that they have. Steelers' wideout Santonio Holmes was voted as the Superbowl XLIII MVP making 9 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, Holmes single-handedly drove the Steelers' final play and caught the game winning touchdown by just barely staying in the endzone. But like many other MVP awards that have been presented in the past, this brought up the debate that if Holmes should have been the one to receive the award. With all bias aside, whether a Steelers or a Cardinals fan, Holmes' MVP was a debatable one, here are the other candidates.
Cardinals' Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald was shutdown for most of the game, and the Cardinals were down most of the game. Once Fitz got going in the 4th quarter, the Cards began to roll. Fitzgerald finished with 127 yards and 2 touchdowns, one from a highlight-reel catch with Steelers' cornerback Ike Taylor all over him, and the second a 64-yard burst through the Steelers' zone defense. Fitzgerald's argument is pretty simple, if it wasn't for him, this Superbowl would have been a blowout. He was clearly the best player on the field for the Cardinals from whatever angle you look at it.
Steelers' Linebacker James Harrison
Harrison's 100-yard interception return for the touchdown right before halftime was huge. Who knows what would have transpired in the two possible situations without the interception. 1) The Cardinals' score, the score would have been 14-10 in favour of the Cardinals, and if things unfolded the way they did, the Cards would have ran away with the game with Fitzgerald's 4th quarter performance. 2) The play went incomplete and both teams head to the locker room with the Cardinals down just 10-7 instead of 17-7. And again, Fitzgerald's performance- if it unfolded the way it did - would have won the game for the Cards. It wasn't just the Superbowl interception record, it was the touchdown that hyped up the Steelers' and their fans, and really put a thought into Kurt Warner's mind to think twice before passing short up the middle again.
Both Quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger & Kurt Warner
Either of them could have been MVPs. Warner passed for 300-plus yards and all three scores for the Cardinals and did a wonderful job running the offense and was sharp all night. He was 31 for 43 passing and was solid as he has been all year long. Roethlisberger became an elite quarterback in this game, as he once again led his Steelers' to a game-winning drive. His composure and faith in his team in the last scoring play of the game was in the same ranks of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Say what you want about Ben's season, but he stepped up when it counted the most and delivered the pass where only Santonio Holmes would get to it on the game-winning touchdown.
The MVP award always sparks disagreements and debates, but this one is probably one of the closer ones to call. Holmes performance was great, but so was the four other players mentioned above. The real knock against Fitzgerald and Warner is that simply, their team didn't win. As defined before, the MVP is the player that is voted most important and critical for their team to succeed. Clearly, the Cardinals did not succeed Sunday night. Harrison's case is pretty strong, and he very easily could have been the MVP with that play. But in the end, after all, everyone just has to accept that Holmes' performance was great and deserving of the MVP award.
