Amazing Finish Marks a Super Bowl for the Ages

I had no real rooting interest in either of these teams, but, as much as I admire them, I've had a lingering grudge against the Patriots since the 2001 AFC divisional playoff game against the Raiders.

So, I'm torn between the awe of a phenomenal game and the head-shaking dejection of the Seattle loss. Weird that.

In any case, here's Mitch Albom, at the Detroit Free Press:

GLENDALE, Ariz. – And then it broke. The magic bubble that Seattle had been living under, the immortal elixir, the string of amazing finishes, the incredible touch of Russell Wilson and decision making of Pete Carroll — it all ended in a blink, the most unlikely of plays, a forced pass by Wilson to Ricardo Lockette with just 20 seconds left that was snatched at the goal line by New England's Malcolm Butler.

And suddenly, the Patriots were Super Bowl champions. It happened so fast, I'm not sure the Patriots believed it themselves. Tom Brady, still reeling from watching a ridiculous circus catch by Seattle's Jermaine Kearse moments earlier — one that looked like the final dagger to the Pats' hopes — suddenly threw his hands in the air and screamed. So did every New England fan.

And so, for that matter, did every Seattle fan. Because a team with Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, a team that only needs one yard to score a championship-winning touchdown, should not be knifing a pass into coverage in the most crowded part of the field.

But the Seahawks did. And they paid for it. Final score: 28-24.

Champ, dethroned.

In an incredible finish to an incredible Super Bowl, it was a bad call and a bad pass that left the biggest mark. And if, upon hearing the names Lockette and Butler, you said, "Who?" well, you're not alone.

But it was that kind of Super Bowl. These two teams, the best in the business, were so adept at taking away each other's strength, it left the stage vacant for the second-tier guys.

Or in some cases, the end of the bench...

More.

And I think Mike DiGiovanna nails it here:

Feel like I just watched the NFL version of the #Royals-#Athletics wild-card game. Wow.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) February 2, 2015