Super Bowl XLIII Monday

There is nothing quite like the NFL's version of the Super Bowl when you are in Italy.  First we met for dinner at about 9:00 p.m. Sunday night to warm up for the game.  The meeting place was a very cool restaurant called "Yoghi & BooBoo" serving worldwide cuisine.  I went with the Mexican salad... interesting but good.  They did serve a REALLY fabulous cheesecake for dessert or so I'm told.

After dinner we picked up a new member of the greater Elephant society, Denver Wade.  Denver is a Junior offensive lineman at Wabash College in Indiana and is involved in a one semester, study abroad program through Duke University which is based in Catania.  Denver is from California and graduated from Lowell H.S. in San Francisco.  We are hoping that his schedule will allow him some time to help coach the Elephants' offensive linemen.

We then went to WR Gregorio Barbagallo's home to watch the game with about ten other people in attendance.

A bit of Fabio, Denver, Roberto, our host Gregorio and Gustavo

The game actually kicked off at about 12:30 a.m., MONDAY morning, February 2nd.  We were pumped up and ready.  It was about 50-50 as to who people thought would win it.  I picked Arizona 28-21 in our BWIN sponsored, in-house gambling syndicate.  Larry Atkinson and Giulio Romano split the 10 Euro Mega-Jackpot!

Then Larry said, "No Gus, it's the SUPER Bowl not the ORANGE Bowl."

At half time, Gregorio brought out a DELICIOUS potato and Mortadella dish that his Mother, Katerina, made for us while we discussed the Steelers' 100 yard interception return on the last play of the half that was a huge 14 point swing in the game.  As we stretched our legs and ate, out game the fruit including an interesting one that looks life a football in shape and size, is visually a lemon but tastes nothing like one.  It was very good and I believe they said it was called a citron.

Now was it just me or were you a little bothered by Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen's performance at half time.  Now don't get me wrong, I love his music but I was really worried for his health and safety on some of his moves on stage.  He looked a little stressed doing some of his usual antics but what the heck, black IS slimming.

The fourth quarter proved to be as good as it gets and made for a great end to the very long night as the Pittsburgh (or as Giulio refers to them "Pizza-Burger") Steelers rallied for a 27-23 victory, their 6th in the Super Bowl, over the Arizona Cardinals.  The game ended at 4:15 a.m., Catania time.

One great thing about the Super Bowl in Sicily is that all the pre-game AND the entire game is commercial free.

Now the flip side is that the telecast offers none of the highly anticipated U.S. commercials and the announcers speak Italian only.  For a taste of what it is like click on the vlog above.

Paul Petrich Jr., who will coach our defensive line, arrives today at 6:15 p.m.  The season is upon us.