Jim Caldwell, Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts, pulled out his starters in the third quarter and seriously jeopardized the Colts’ chances to finish off a perfect season. Perhaps, behind the sour-sweet reaction from Indianapolis fans, Caldwell might have just made the best decision in the long run. Back in 2007, the New England Patriots team had proved that perfection has its own flaws. The Patriots had had the perfect season – almost. There is a certain cruelty in the Patriots ending their perfect streak in the game that mattered most: the Super Bowl XLII. So this year’s Colts might not be perfect, but they are quite virtuous, and this might very well be what makes the difference between holding a perfect record, or the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Let’s face it: the NFL record 23 regular-season winning game strike came to an end while 3 times MVP Payton Manning looked from the sidelines. But Manning and Co. are going to the postseason in top shape, with home team advantage, and no late season injuries to regret. Perhaps this perspective was not clear enough for most ofIndianapolis Colts’ fans who filled the Lucas Oil Stadium with boos.
Caldwell pulled out Manning and Co. with a 15-10 lead and 5:36 left in the 3rd quarter. And it did not seem that bad. But things were about to change. First, replacement QB Curtis Painter was hit by linebacker Calvin Pace. Following the hit, Painter lost the ball and Marques Douglas recovered it and scored. Then Mark Sanchez completed a two point conversion pass to Dustin Keller to make it 18-15. Judging by the way theColts fans shouted their boos, it seemed like they knew that the cow manure was about to hit the wind spinner.
In the fourth quarter, the Jets closed the game with two more scores. Jay Feely’s 43 yard field goal, followed up by a 1 yard touch down, came with no offensive reaction from theColts. And the die had been cast. The Jets saw an opportunity, and took it. At the end, the Colts lost their perfect season 29-15 against the Jets. But this has been one heck of a regular season.
The only team that had gone 15-0 in regular season was the 2007 New England Patriots. Only two other teams, the Pats and 1972 Miami Dolphins, had gone into playoffs with a perfect record. This year, both the New Orleans Saints and the Colts could have gone flawless into the last game, and, even if not necessarily plausible, a Saints-Colts final seemed possible. But the Saints now have two defeats in a row. And considering the Jets’ win over Indianapolis, it looks like Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins are still going to be the only team to go undefeated an entire season.
Caldwell’s decision came like an answer to the New York Jets’ prayers. Without Payton Manning, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne and Joseph Addai in the field, things got way easier forthe Jets. Now, after this win, the Jets will not depend upon other teams’ performances to qualify for the playoffs. If they are able to take a home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals this coming week,the Jets will make it into the postseason for the first time since 2006.
There was a bit of controversy around Caldwell’s call. But Manning, the players, and the management stand behind his decision. The bottom line is that theColts have one goal in mind: to win the Super Bowl. If they are able to do so, losing the perfect streak is a small price to pay.
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on daily NFL Football Season reviews, sports news and sports betting industry updates for many exceptional sports web sites.
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site; please leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
History Of The Super Bowl Sunday Game
Prior to the merger, NFL and AFL leagues were two bitter rivals. There was a need to unit all fans and club sides from both leagues, hence the landmark agreement that cemented and brought about the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl Sunday is that day of the year in which winners from both leagues (NFL and AFL) come together to determine who is the champion of the world. The winning team gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy --posthumously named after the coach of the Green Bay Packers that won the first two Super Bowl games. Vinci Lombardi died in September 1970.
The game, which is usually played once in a year has witnessed many date shifts; from first to mid Sunday in of the month of January, it later settled on the second Sunday and from which point it went off again to the third unto the last and later revised back to the first Sunday in the month of February. Let us hope there is no further shift in date!!
Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt coined the name ''Super Bowl''. He got the idea from the toy Super Ball after watching his children playing with it. There were other suggestions like ''The Big one’’ and whatnot. The name Super Bowl was initially supposed to be a temporary name for the championship game. The name Super Bowl has gained so much popularity in such a way that, it is now the official name of America’s de facto holiday.
NFL’s Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowl matches. The first and second Super Bowl Championship Games were not advantage with roman numerals until the third Super Bowl championship game(Super Bowl III), talking of which was won by AFL's New York Jets. Kansas City Chiefs subsequently won Super Bowl IV in New Orleans.
In the United States alone, the Super Bowl is the most-watch TV broadcast. The game has the highest rating in terms of viewership: watched by an average of 90 million Americans. The game has also recorded viewership as high as 200 million and above. Outside the United States about 140 million viewers tune up to watch the championship everysuper bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl Sunday halftime show has grown from mere matching parades by High School bands to a super show that commands the respect of the global entertainment industry. Thought the halftime show is only 30 minutes, it is no doubt, one of the important highlights of the championship game. Various America and international top musicians have performed in halftime shows.
The Super Bowl is without any forms of controversies. A case in point was Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, when Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s right breast for the entire world to see in what appeared to be a mistake. Her nipple had a star-shaped ring around it. The incident prompted organizers to place a ban on MTV that forbids the media company from involving in another halftime show, in any capacity, in the future. The 2010super bowl sunday game will be held in Miami Florida on 2/7/2010.
Rich Stephenson is in the web development field for a ticket broker that sells tickets to all sports, concert and theater events. Ticket broker also where you can buy Buy Superbowl Tickets as well as NFL Tickets for and all other football games.
Super Bowl Sunday is that day of the year in which winners from both leagues (NFL and AFL) come together to determine who is the champion of the world. The winning team gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy --posthumously named after the coach of the Green Bay Packers that won the first two Super Bowl games. Vinci Lombardi died in September 1970.
The game, which is usually played once in a year has witnessed many date shifts; from first to mid Sunday in of the month of January, it later settled on the second Sunday and from which point it went off again to the third unto the last and later revised back to the first Sunday in the month of February. Let us hope there is no further shift in date!!
Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt coined the name ''Super Bowl''. He got the idea from the toy Super Ball after watching his children playing with it. There were other suggestions like ''The Big one’’ and whatnot. The name Super Bowl was initially supposed to be a temporary name for the championship game. The name Super Bowl has gained so much popularity in such a way that, it is now the official name of America’s de facto holiday.
NFL’s Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowl matches. The first and second Super Bowl Championship Games were not advantage with roman numerals until the third Super Bowl championship game(Super Bowl III), talking of which was won by AFL's New York Jets. Kansas City Chiefs subsequently won Super Bowl IV in New Orleans.
In the United States alone, the Super Bowl is the most-watch TV broadcast. The game has the highest rating in terms of viewership: watched by an average of 90 million Americans. The game has also recorded viewership as high as 200 million and above. Outside the United States about 140 million viewers tune up to watch the championship everysuper bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl Sunday halftime show has grown from mere matching parades by High School bands to a super show that commands the respect of the global entertainment industry. Thought the halftime show is only 30 minutes, it is no doubt, one of the important highlights of the championship game. Various America and international top musicians have performed in halftime shows.
The Super Bowl is without any forms of controversies. A case in point was Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, when Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s right breast for the entire world to see in what appeared to be a mistake. Her nipple had a star-shaped ring around it. The incident prompted organizers to place a ban on MTV that forbids the media company from involving in another halftime show, in any capacity, in the future. The 2010super bowl sunday game will be held in Miami Florida on 2/7/2010.
Rich Stephenson is in the web development field for a ticket broker that sells tickets to all sports, concert and theater events. Ticket broker also where you can buy Buy Superbowl Tickets as well as NFL Tickets for and all other football games.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)