My history with the Super Bowl goes
back to my freshman year in college. Even though I lived in the dorms on
campus, the drive home was only forty-five minutes, so I made the trip to watch
the first of the now 48 Super Bowls with my step father. He was an avid
football fan, having played high school ball, and then for the University of
Alabama back in 1930. My own time playing football was not nearly so
illustrious – mostly due to the fact that we were in Europe for three years
during the years I might have learned to play the game. But such was not to be.
Early on I was a Dallas Cowboys fan
believing them to be “America’s Team.” In particular, I liked Roger Staubach,
especially since he had won the Heisman Trophy while playing at the Naval
Academy. And Coach Tom Landry was a class act. The Cowboys managed to play in
five Super Bowls during the 70s, winning two. I parted company with the Cowboys
in 1989 when they acquired a new owner and a new head coach. At that point, I
shifted to the San Francisco 49ers.
Since I was born and raised in New
England my default team has always been the Boston Patriots, later changed to
the New England Patriots. With the 49ers in the NFC and the Patriots in the AFC
they rarely play each other. A couple of weeks ago I envisioned Super Bowl 48
being played between Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers against Tom Brady and the
Patriots. And if that scenario did not work out, I figured at least one of
those two teams would make it into the Big Game. Alas and Alack, ‘twas not to
be.
Okay then! The Broncos and the
Seahawks. Number one offense against the number one defense. Should be a great
game! Not so fast!
So I’ve had my nap and the game is to
start in about a half hour. I wasn’t too particular as to which team I was
going to root for. I settled on the Denver Broncos for a couple of reasons.
First, Payton Manning. Second, the Broncos’ experience. Third, Broncos’ corps
of receivers. Fourth, Cornerback Sherman seriously prejudiced me against the
Seahawks after his childish, churlish rant in defeating the 49ers two weeks
prior. Anyway, I figured the game was going to be close in the first half with
Denver salting it away in the second half. So much for my faulty analysis and
lame prognostications.
From the kick-off I could see that
the Broncos were not making good decisions. The kick-returner chose to run the
ball out from deep in the end zone. This proved unwise, since the first snap to
Manning from center was errant and cost them a safety. I was speechless! A dark
cloud rolled into the living room and parked itself there for the remainder of
the game.
The Seahawks came into the game with
an enormous amount of energy and fire. From the first play of the game until
the last seconds ticked off the clock, Seattle played a tough, physical,
aggressive game and totally smothered the Broncos. But at the halftime it was
22 to 0. My wife, who is no football fan, sat in the living room with me and
occasionally made a comment about what was happening in the game. Even with her
untrained eye for football she could see that things were not going well for
Denver. My periodic gasps, grunts, and groans lent themselves to her accurate
perception of a game going bad for the boys in orange.
As the first half ended I tried to
put a good face on this train wreck. Payton Manning is one of the best
quarterbacks to ever have played in the NFL. If anyone could mount a charge and
bring their team back from the brink of Super Bowl oblivion, Payton could. As I
have often said to my wife, “You never count the score at halftime.”
Whatever hopes the Broncos had were
dashed, and the game was, for all intents and purposes, over in the first play
to start the second half. The Seattle kick returner caught the ball and ran it
all the way to the end zone for a touchdown, sealing the fate of the Denver
Broncos. At that point the game could not end soon enough for the boys from
Colorado. Sure they managed to finally score a touchdown at the end of the
third quarter, but it was cosmetic at best.
Ever the consummate gentleman,
Payton Manning handled himself well in defeat. But I was particularly impressed
with the young, second-year quarterback for Seattle, Russell Wilson. He demonstrated
a grasp of the game for someone so inexperienced. His demeanor was very much
like Joe Montana when he was “Joe Cool” with the 49ers. And Wilson was quick to
express his thanks to God for the opportunity to play football in the NFL and to
be in the Super Bowl. I like this guy!
The Denver Broncos simply found
themselves bowled over by a much better team in the Seattle Seahawks. 
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