GLENDALE--In an opinion poll conduced by the Arizona Republic, Super Bowl 43 was voted the “worst Super Bowl ever.” This contrasts sharply with the opinion held by the most football fans, who feel the latest Super Bowl was one of the best of all time.

Reader comments on the paper’s website offered some clue as to why Arizona residents are not in synch with the rest of the country.

“Shit game. Horrible. It was bullshit, absolute bullshit,” wrote one commenter, Fitz11. “We had that thing won and then we blew it in the end. And the officials SUCKED ASS. Never before have I seen officiating that bad in my life. The league clearly wanted the Steelers to win. Worst. Super Bowl. Ever.”

The poll results showed 89 percent of respondents chose Super Bowl 43 as the worst of all time, over such blowouts as Super Bowl 27 (Cowboys 52, Bills 17), Super Bowl 24 (49ers 55, Broncos 10), and Super Bowl 20 (Bears 42, Patriots 10). Though this year’s Super Bowl provided a closely contested match with a thrilling ending, fans of the Cardinals came away unimpressed.

“I will never watch football again,” wrote another commenter. “I mean what is the point of being so emotionally involved in the game just to have your guts torn out at the end of it? I actually spit on my TV screen when it was over. And I still can’t believe James Harrison ran that interception back for a touchdown and NOBODY TACKLED HIM. Terrible football. Just terrible. Embarrassing. This game was a huge setback for the league.”

Some feel that the fans’ disappointment with the game is a result of the Cardinals losing in such heartbreaking fashion. At such a time, it’s often difficult for hometown fans to recognize what a truly great game they just witnessed, says sports psychologist Dr. Jean Sugerman.

“It’s very difficult for fans of the losing team to simply enjoy the fact that they watched a great contest,” said Sugerman. “Usually ‘great games’ have fantastic finishes, meaning one team pulled out an amazing victory at the expense of the other team’s soul. This can be incredibly painful for fans. For instance, as a New Englander, every time I see the Giants Super Bowl victory DVD, I want to pulverize it with a sledgehammer while imagining that it’s Eli Manning’s fat face. And I’m a sports psychologist.”

By contrast, fans of the winning team usually experience euphoria and feelings of good will toward the opposition. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh fans who called in to ESPN Radio 1250 following the game had a strikingly different attitude towards the game.

“Wow. What a game. Best Super Bowl ever,” said one caller. “This game had everything: incredible plays, hard hits, a thrilling ending, and clutch play by two very good football teams. I have nothing but respect for the Arizona Cardinals. They are a class bunch and they should be very proud of what they accomplished. It’s funny because with like two and a half minutes left in the game, I wanted their team plane to crash on the way back to Glendale. What a roller coaster ride!”

Copyright 2009, The Brushback - Do not reprint without permission. This article is satire and is not intended as actual news.