PROOF us Brits will never quite understand American Football came during Sunday’s Superbowl.
Yes, it was exciting. Yes, it was tense. Yes, we did spend the half-time period with our toes curling as a gyrating 53-year-old Queen (Mother) of Pop Madonna wheeled on a succession of younger, less sinewy-armed artists in an attempt to stay relevant with today’s kids.
(Mind you, it’s a lot better than the English equivalent – Little Mix performing at the FA Cup final with One Direction and Olly Murs.)
But what to say about a showpiece where the winning score was one the player actually didn’t want to happen?
The vagaries of timekeeping meant it would have been more beneficial for New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw to stop a yard from the line and chew up the clock before his team kicked a field goal to go ahead.
Instead, his own momentum and the lack of any resistance from the New England defense (or in proper English, defence) meant he fell over the line backwards.
With Patriots quarter-back Tom Brady unable to conjure up the Hail Mary pass (see, I’m getting the hang of this) in the remaining 57 seconds it made Bradshaw the reluctant hero.
A bit like scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final by accident.
Only in America.
