imgreat95
02-13-2006, 02:04 PM
by Jody DiPerna
There have been precisely five great teams in the Super Bowl era. The three greatest of the great - the 1960's Packers, the 1970's Steelers, the 1980's Niners; and the two also great - the Cowboys of the 1990's and the Patriots, circa now. There have also been some really good teams - the Broncos of the late 1990's, the Redskins under Joe Gibbs, the Parcells led Giants, the 1970's Cowboys, and the 1970's Raiders. There have been some really hot teams who have gone in and steamrolled the opposition - like the 1985 Bears and the 1994 Niners. And there's been one perfect team - the 1972 Dolphins. But still, five really great teams. Period.
Well, the Steelers have carved out their own category - the most resilient Super Bowl Champions. After the regular season loss to Cincinnati, everybody wrote this Steelers team off. The great expectations from training camp were tossed in the trash heap. The Steelers were going to lose the division to those upstart Bungles and they'd would be lucky to get into the playoffs. I know that I wrote or said something along the lines of, "even if this team makes the playoffs, they'll be one and done anyway." (But I drink a little.) They fooled everybody.
Are they the most talented Super Bowl Champion? No way. The most unlikely? Probably not even that. The most star-studded? Don't make me laugh. But they are the most resolute: this may be the tightest group of guys I've ever watched play together. It's a testament to their character that they never got down on themselves, never pointed the finger of blame at one another and stayed together as a team. That should help them weather the specious media storm of self-importance brewing over officiating.
Every time something bad happens to me, my grandmother says something like, "offer it up as a sacrifice," (to what I'm not really sure), or "it builds character." And you know, I've always been resentful of that. But adversity does build character. Or it kills you, one or the other. For this team, adversity did build character and it fomented a closeness rarely seen in the multi-million dollar world of "me and my agent first" free-agent, professional sports.
The things I'll always remember from this Super Bowl:
The Bus running out of the tunnel first with his teammates waiting behind him, held back by loudmouth and gatekeeper, Joey Porter. Apparently, it was Joey's idea and Jerome didn't know they were gonna do it until he turned around like, "where are you guys?!" Just fantastic stuff.
Randal El being able to play, and play beautifully, when I thought he might be dead following a punt return where he was literally snapped in half.
Hines Ward winning the MVP because he's the most unselfish wide out in the league and, as Tunch Ilkin says, he's tough as woodpecker lips. That guy should be a total NFL rock star. Somehow, I get the feeling when 2006 starts, that Chad Johnson and TO will still be getting all the headlines, though. Funny, that.
Undrafted free agent Willie Parker ripping off the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history after he was tutored by Bettis and sprung by his line. The minute he cleared Alan Faneca, you just knew he was gone. Then seeing Ben hugging Jeff Hartings and Alan Faneca at mid-field afterwards, while Jerome raced to congratulate Willie. That just killed me. And it killed the Chickens of the Sea.
Joey Porter being proven right. Jerramy Stevens is soft. Chris Hope proved it. Who ride? Who ride? Who ride? You ride, Joey, you ride.
Ben's block to spring Randal El to make that terrific option pass to Hines. By the way, Antwan threw the best pass of the day. And everybody saw it coming, except Holmgren and the Seahawks.
Brett Keisel and James Harrison playing like demons on special teams coverage all day.
Casey Hampton just owning center Robbie Tobeck.
Sure, the game wasn't pretty and some people are complaining about that. I would direct them to their DVD's of Super Bowls XXII and XXVIII. Yeah, those were the good old days of exciting Super Bowls, when the Redskins blew out the Broncos, 42-10 and the Cowboys embarrassed the Bills, 52-17. Perhaps, they've TIVO'ed Super Bowl XXIX so they can enjoy all the good times of the Niners hammering the Chargers, 49-26 (and believe me, it wasn't even that close.)
Here's the thing about the Super Bowls: only a handful of the games have actually been great games, because getting together two really good teams is no guarantee of a great game. In my football lifetime (since 1974), the Super Bowls that were great, just in terms of being exciting, compelling games, were just: X (Steelers over the Cowboys), XIII (again, the Steelers over the Cowboys), XIV (Steelers over Rams), XVI (San Fran over the Bengals), XXIII (San Fran over the Bengals, featuring Montana's game winning drive), XXV (Giants over the Bills, with Norwood's famous "wide right" field goal attempt), XXX (Cowboys over Steelers), XXXIII (Denver over Green Bay), XXXIV (St. Louis over Tennessee), XXXVI (New England over St. Louis), and XXXVIII (New England over Carolina). According to very reliable sources, both Super Bowl III was a great game, so let's throw it into the kitty, too. That makes it twelve games out of a possible forty that were great, or at least good, games. Twelve.
So Super Bowl XL wasn't the greatest game of all time? So what? You don't get the Lombardi trophy for style points. It's football, not figure skating, for crying out loud. Here's what the Steelers did. The hung around and hung around and their defense and special teams kept it close. Then they got opportunities and took advantage of them. Frankly, it's what good teams do. And, as Forrest Gump said, that's all I'm gonna say about that.
In a development more bizarre than the Vatican tapping pop-star and pedophile Michael Jackson to put Pope John Paul II's prayers to music, I got this this e-mail from Mike Holmgren yesterday: "We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well … or be expected to keep track of how much time was left in each half ... and who said my receivers had to actually catch the ball ... and in bounds yet. Where did that rule come from? We wuz robbed. I mean, he caught the ball. Isn't that enough? What's with all the white lines? And that clock thingie. What's up with that?"
By the way, don't let anybody shit on your parade, Steeler fans. Dishers, enjoy the Super Bowl afterglow while you can. And I'll see you on draft day!
Finally, thanks to my Pitt Crew for all their help, support and inspiration (and I'm not kidding): Gillis, Smiley, Bruce, Fleck, Banyas and Sweaty Jim. And Linda.
There have been precisely five great teams in the Super Bowl era. The three greatest of the great - the 1960's Packers, the 1970's Steelers, the 1980's Niners; and the two also great - the Cowboys of the 1990's and the Patriots, circa now. There have also been some really good teams - the Broncos of the late 1990's, the Redskins under Joe Gibbs, the Parcells led Giants, the 1970's Cowboys, and the 1970's Raiders. There have been some really hot teams who have gone in and steamrolled the opposition - like the 1985 Bears and the 1994 Niners. And there's been one perfect team - the 1972 Dolphins. But still, five really great teams. Period.
Well, the Steelers have carved out their own category - the most resilient Super Bowl Champions. After the regular season loss to Cincinnati, everybody wrote this Steelers team off. The great expectations from training camp were tossed in the trash heap. The Steelers were going to lose the division to those upstart Bungles and they'd would be lucky to get into the playoffs. I know that I wrote or said something along the lines of, "even if this team makes the playoffs, they'll be one and done anyway." (But I drink a little.) They fooled everybody.
Are they the most talented Super Bowl Champion? No way. The most unlikely? Probably not even that. The most star-studded? Don't make me laugh. But they are the most resolute: this may be the tightest group of guys I've ever watched play together. It's a testament to their character that they never got down on themselves, never pointed the finger of blame at one another and stayed together as a team. That should help them weather the specious media storm of self-importance brewing over officiating.
Every time something bad happens to me, my grandmother says something like, "offer it up as a sacrifice," (to what I'm not really sure), or "it builds character." And you know, I've always been resentful of that. But adversity does build character. Or it kills you, one or the other. For this team, adversity did build character and it fomented a closeness rarely seen in the multi-million dollar world of "me and my agent first" free-agent, professional sports.
The things I'll always remember from this Super Bowl:
The Bus running out of the tunnel first with his teammates waiting behind him, held back by loudmouth and gatekeeper, Joey Porter. Apparently, it was Joey's idea and Jerome didn't know they were gonna do it until he turned around like, "where are you guys?!" Just fantastic stuff.
Randal El being able to play, and play beautifully, when I thought he might be dead following a punt return where he was literally snapped in half.
Hines Ward winning the MVP because he's the most unselfish wide out in the league and, as Tunch Ilkin says, he's tough as woodpecker lips. That guy should be a total NFL rock star. Somehow, I get the feeling when 2006 starts, that Chad Johnson and TO will still be getting all the headlines, though. Funny, that.
Undrafted free agent Willie Parker ripping off the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history after he was tutored by Bettis and sprung by his line. The minute he cleared Alan Faneca, you just knew he was gone. Then seeing Ben hugging Jeff Hartings and Alan Faneca at mid-field afterwards, while Jerome raced to congratulate Willie. That just killed me. And it killed the Chickens of the Sea.
Joey Porter being proven right. Jerramy Stevens is soft. Chris Hope proved it. Who ride? Who ride? Who ride? You ride, Joey, you ride.
Ben's block to spring Randal El to make that terrific option pass to Hines. By the way, Antwan threw the best pass of the day. And everybody saw it coming, except Holmgren and the Seahawks.
Brett Keisel and James Harrison playing like demons on special teams coverage all day.
Casey Hampton just owning center Robbie Tobeck.
Sure, the game wasn't pretty and some people are complaining about that. I would direct them to their DVD's of Super Bowls XXII and XXVIII. Yeah, those were the good old days of exciting Super Bowls, when the Redskins blew out the Broncos, 42-10 and the Cowboys embarrassed the Bills, 52-17. Perhaps, they've TIVO'ed Super Bowl XXIX so they can enjoy all the good times of the Niners hammering the Chargers, 49-26 (and believe me, it wasn't even that close.)
Here's the thing about the Super Bowls: only a handful of the games have actually been great games, because getting together two really good teams is no guarantee of a great game. In my football lifetime (since 1974), the Super Bowls that were great, just in terms of being exciting, compelling games, were just: X (Steelers over the Cowboys), XIII (again, the Steelers over the Cowboys), XIV (Steelers over Rams), XVI (San Fran over the Bengals), XXIII (San Fran over the Bengals, featuring Montana's game winning drive), XXV (Giants over the Bills, with Norwood's famous "wide right" field goal attempt), XXX (Cowboys over Steelers), XXXIII (Denver over Green Bay), XXXIV (St. Louis over Tennessee), XXXVI (New England over St. Louis), and XXXVIII (New England over Carolina). According to very reliable sources, both Super Bowl III was a great game, so let's throw it into the kitty, too. That makes it twelve games out of a possible forty that were great, or at least good, games. Twelve.
So Super Bowl XL wasn't the greatest game of all time? So what? You don't get the Lombardi trophy for style points. It's football, not figure skating, for crying out loud. Here's what the Steelers did. The hung around and hung around and their defense and special teams kept it close. Then they got opportunities and took advantage of them. Frankly, it's what good teams do. And, as Forrest Gump said, that's all I'm gonna say about that.
In a development more bizarre than the Vatican tapping pop-star and pedophile Michael Jackson to put Pope John Paul II's prayers to music, I got this this e-mail from Mike Holmgren yesterday: "We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well … or be expected to keep track of how much time was left in each half ... and who said my receivers had to actually catch the ball ... and in bounds yet. Where did that rule come from? We wuz robbed. I mean, he caught the ball. Isn't that enough? What's with all the white lines? And that clock thingie. What's up with that?"
By the way, don't let anybody shit on your parade, Steeler fans. Dishers, enjoy the Super Bowl afterglow while you can. And I'll see you on draft day!
Finally, thanks to my Pitt Crew for all their help, support and inspiration (and I'm not kidding): Gillis, Smiley, Bruce, Fleck, Banyas and Sweaty Jim. And Linda.