Monday, February 2, 2009
Super Bowl XLIII Winners and Losers
By Darren Rovell, CNBC
WINNERS
Santonio Holmes: His 131 yards receiving and amazing game-winning TD grab secured him the MVP, the Disney World spot, and a nice pension of sorts from the collectible world for always being a Super Bowl MVP.
The Business of the Super Bowl
Dick's Sporting Goods: the Pittsburgh-based sports retailer hit the jackpot with the Steelers winning. They have virtually no competition in Pennsylvania, made a huge bet on the Steelers winning it all and it will pay off to the tune of major sales of full priced merchandise -- a rarity in these times.
The NFL: Incredible championship games like this help separate the NFL from the rest of the major sports leagues.
James Harrison: The NFL Defensive Player of the Year, previously cut three times by the Steelers, will forever be known for the amazing 100 yard touchdown return.
Disney: Not only did they get Roethlisberger and Holmes on the contingency list so that they had them "Going To Disney World" after they won. But officials with the company were surprised when Bruce Springsteen finished his set with "I'm going to Disneyland."
Bridgestone: The tire company gets halftime when Springsteen finally says yes. Not only that, two of their ads -- tires on the moon and Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head -- are among the most popular.
NBC: The network still managed to sell out ads to the tune of record revenue and actually gave those who bought second-half spots value for their money.
Ben Roethlisberger: Two titles at such a young age, combined with the tradition and fan base of the Steelers, makes him the most marketable player in the league once again.
President Barack Obama: To our new president's credit, he avoided being politically safe and boldly picked the Steelers, proving that he knows a winner. Getting thanked by Dan Rooney as the biggest member of Steeler Nation in the postgame gave him more cred.
Mike Tomlin: Winning Super Bowl coaches have a long leash. For Tomlin, the youngest coach to win the Big Game, this is the best job security you can hope for.
PUSH
Bruce Springsteen: Sure, it's a big deal to play at the Super Bowl Halftime show. Just see Tom Petty's rise in digital music sales last year. But the crowd was dead when he was trying to convince them to like his latest, "Working On A Dream."
Michael Phelps: Nothing good can come from evidence of smoking pot, but if there were a day for this story to emerge, you'd want this game, and a five-setter between Nadal and Federer, to bury it deep into the paper.
Kurt Warner: The Arizona Cardinals quarterback still comes away with a book deal, though a bit less lucrative, and another great game to add to his legacy.
El Salvador: They will still get a great donation of "Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl Champion" gear, but the donation would have been larger had the Steelers lost.
Ticket Sellers: After predictions that this would be the worst market ever, no one was getting tickets at face, as too many Steelers fans showed up with no tickets to keep the ticket market soft.
LOSERS
Larry Fitzgerald: An amazing game for the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver -- two touchdowns in less than five minutes in the fourth quarter. But it's hard to get attention in Arizona and Fitzgerald won't get big marketing deals without a championship and a Super Bowl MVP in his hands.
Stanley Druckenmiller: With the Rooneys squabbling over what to do with the Steelers, Druckenmiller appeared to have the cash to do the deal before the Rooneys backed off. Having a championship months after buying the team would have been sweet.
Tampa Business Owners: It's better than normal business, but it doesn't seem like there was a whole lot of spending going on here. Not only were people pouring their hard earned dollars into the game ticket, but there was a big contingent of people staying 80 miles away in Orlando.