Reflections of Super Bowl XLI...

Well, I wrote this article about the Super Bowl for a small Maryland outfit I write for, the Baltimore Reporter. It's obviously about the game, my reflections of it and a small bit of the history of the Colts with Indiana and Baltimore.

Hope you like the small piece. If you'd like to send feedback, leave a comment or email me at mdguy2415@aol.com. Thanks.

For most of the country, moreover the world, the Super Bowl is a cultural event that mixes up celebrity, commercialism, excess, celebration, football, and a slice of Americana. People, young and old; seemingly of every race and social class possible join for one Sunday every winter and celebrate the new national sporting religion – football.

Sunday night was a memorable one, as the team who left the city of Baltimore a generation ago, won a Super Bowl for the first time in 4 decades, as the Indianapolis Colts. In the end, cultural history was made with two African-Americans coaching in the biggest sporting event in America, and looking back, it was an incredible season that we soon won’t forget.

Under the tutelage of Coach Tony Dungy & with the arm of Peyton Manning, they defeated the Chicago Bears in less than ideal weather conditions, 29-17 in Miami, Florida. Manning was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player & now has cemented his legacy, & Tony Dungy, after a brilliant career, finally has joined the pantheon of coaches to have won the ultimate championship.

Although the weather conditions favored the Bears, the Colts were able to win the game by mistakes from the Bears themselves. Chicago had a running game which was ineffective and sloppy, plus the poor play from Grossman and his interceptions – the final, which sealed the team’s fate. Meanwhile, Indianapolis took the blown opportunities and made the most of them.

Thus, with one touchdown thrown, and 247 yards passing, Peyton Manning is now in the same echelon as Joe Montana, Brett Favre, John Elway and Joe Namath by winning the big one. Peyton, America’s favorite pitch man and prolific quarterback is now one of the immortals in the game.

The conditions surely must exacted a toll on Grossman; while Peyton, the veteran, maintained his composure and led his team to victory. The rainy weather and miserable scene may only add to the lore of this game as a perfect NFL Films movie, but there’s no question that both Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith wanted to win bad, thus you could not have gone wrong with either choice. Therefore, only one man could have won, and the Colts who everyone favored overwhelmingly won in the end.

In the end, the city of Baltimore might feel a little melancholy as to the result of the game. First off, the Colts beat the Ravens several Sundays back due to the kicking of Adam Viniateri, and second, don’t forget the whole history the role of the Irsay family in 1984.

I was only 6 years old when the events of 1984 happened with the Colts, and furthermore, I grew up outside of the Washington D.C. suburbs in Montgomery County, so I don’t feel a connection at all to the team. However, working and attending social and sporting events in Baltimore; I can understand how some people felt about yesterday.

Well, although the Colts have won, the bitterness of those in Baltimore has not subsided to the Irsay family. Some, to this very day feel that Indianapolis gloss over the contributions of the men who previously played in Baltimore, especially Johnny Unitas. Therefore, many fans feel bitter towards Irsay family as they seemingly took a piece of the city’s history and made it their own, while not leaving it where it was created.

I’ll leave that argument for another day, but yesterday was a game to remember.

Again, congratulations to Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts – a job well done.