Super Bowl XLVI is finally here! The greatest championship event in sports has promised three things since the turn of the millennium. Great individual performances, close games, and unsung heroes. It seems that every year a "lesser known" player comes from nowhere to make the plays we never forget.
As a native Nashvillian it pains me to write this....but who will ever forget Tennessee coming up a yard short in the 2000 Super Bowl? In a game that featured Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, a young Eddie George, and the late great Steve McNair, it was little known linebacker Mike Jone's tackle of Kevin Dyson at the one yard line that haunts me to this day!
Tom Brady gets all of the credit and notoriety for the Patriots Super Bowl dominance last decade, but unknown place kicker Adam Vinatieri made clutch field goal kicks in each victory. The Patriots just happened to win each championship by three points. The 06 Super Bowl was all about Jerome Bettis returning home to play his last game in Detroit. Unknown backup running back Willie Parker actually stole the Bus' show with a memorable touchdown run. I'm sure that Seattle fans would call the referees the unsung hero for the Steelers though.
The 08 Super Bowl was all about the Patriots high powered offense and quest for a 19-0 season. No one remember a single play from Tom Brady and his offense. We only remember David Tyree's helmet catch in the closing minutes of the Giants upset. The following Super Bowl was supposed to be the coming out party for Larry Fitzgerald, the best wide receiver in the league that year. Although Fitzgerald had a great game, we only remember Santonio Holme's tip toe catch to secure a Steelers victory.
The 2010 Super Bowl featured two great offenses and two great quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. The Saints' hero was actually little known Tracy Porter, who returned a Manning pass 74 yards for a game clinching touchdown. The Saints won their first ever title. And last year, little know Green Bay backup receiver Jordy Nelson exploded for a big game to bring the title back to title town. This year's Super Bowl has no shortage of star power...who will be the unsung hero this time? follow @plcolter
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment