The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

That was, without a doubt, the worst Super Bowl experience I've ever endured. From the unfunny commercials to the lousy game to the forgettable halftime show, the three best moments of the night were: 1) The John Malkovich pre-game shtick; 2) Gladys Knight's rendition of the National Anthem; and 3) The NFL 100 commercial. That's right, none of those grand moments actually occurred on the field during the game. Let's start with the game. Super Bowl LIII set the following records: - Fewest Combined Points: 16 - Fewest Points By Winning Team: 13 - Fewest Combined Points Through 3 Quarters: 6 - Fewest Combined Touchdowns: 1 - Fewest Combined Extra Points: 1 - Fewest Combined Kickoff Returns: 2 - Most Consecutive Drives Ending In A Punt: 8 (LA Rams) - Fewest Points By A Team (tied): 3 (LA Rams) - Fewest Touchdowns By A Team (tied): 0 (LA Rams) - Fewest Combined Passing Touchdowns (tied): 0 There were about as many punts as points scored in last night...

In my journey to attaining three degrees in psychology, I learned about what is coined the recency effect , which suggests the last (most recent) thing a person sees or hears will be remembered best. Makes sense, right? Well, my education gave me an ah-ha moment yesterday (and today) following the conclusion of the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, as this recency effect was on full display by analysts everywhere. With the game tied 20-20 late in the 4th quarter and the Saints down inside the red zone, a Rams defender made contact with a Saints receiver prior to the ball arriving on a 3rd down play. No flag was thrown and the Saints had to settle for a field goal, with plenty of time remaining for the Rams to drive down the field, kick a field goal of their own, and eventually win in overtime. All these analysts and "experts" have been saying post-game is that the Saints got robbed. Pass interference should have been called. This wou...