Blackpool Win Premier League Promotion

The English League Championship Promotion Playoff Final might be one of the most underrated events in all of sports, if it's not the highest stakes single game.

Well, at least from a financial standpoint. It's hard to say that winning a playoff of teams Nos. 3-6 in the second division of English soccer is more important than say, the Super Bowl.

Saturday at sweltering Wembley Stadium in London, tiny and unheralded Blackpool fended off Cardiff City to win 3-2 and promotion to the Premier League, a windfall worth an estimated $130 million.

Thermometers on the field at Wembley estimated temperatures around 110 degrees.

The first half action was nearly as hot as the teams huffed and puffed to five combined goals.

Michael Chopra got Cardiff City going in the ninth minute, but Blackpool's Charlie Adam quickly equalized four minutes later from a free kick.

Cardiff appeared to have momentum when one of its native suns -- Joe Ledley -- converted a through ball into the box in the 37th minute for a 2-1 lead.

Blackpool, which finished 16th the previous season and was tipped for relegation to League One, responded with gusto.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher cleaned up some sloppy Cardiff defending in the box from a corner in the 41st.

And just before the stroke of halftime Brett Ormerod converted from close range, in the goal which ended up sending Blackpool to the top flight for the first time since 1971.

After the half both teams kept pressing, but the heat seemed to sap them of any decisive touches near goal.

Blackpool, which remains in perilous financial straights, held their nerve and eventually celebrated an achievement nobody saw coming.

Much will be made of the job done by manager Ian Holloway who assembled a team of low on marquee names, but high on spirit.

Holloway, of course, is famous in England for his non-stop string of mixed metaphor quotations before and after matches. He'll be a welcome addition to the Premier League.

How exactly Blackpool will fare in the bright lights of the Premier League is another story all together. The club only averaged about 8,000 fans this season and its stadium -- Bloomfield Road -- remains under reconstruction with stands only around three of the four sides of the field.

This year's playoff winners -- Burnley -- started off strong in the Premier League, but went to pieces after manager Owen Coyle left to take over Bolton midway through the year. The Clarets finished with 30 points in 18th place and were relegated. Overall the playoff winners have been relegated the following season 60 percent of the time.

The recent low water mark for promoted teams remains Derby County in 2007-08, which managed just one win and 11 points after winning the playoff final.

Still, today is a day for Blackpool to celebrate, even if the other 19 Premier League will look at them as three automatic points.

For now, enjoy one of Holloway's best bits.