The popular question following the victory by the New Orleans Saints over the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the NFC Championship and the right to play in the Super Bowl has been, “Are you happy now?” Happy is not the word I use.
Watching Sunday’s game I grimaced at every painful hit given by the Saint defense onto the Viking quarterback. Every tackle that was borderline late, I winced at. But each time the veteran QB got up off the Superdome turf and returned to the huddle. Every time but one, then he was helped off the field at the end of a possession. While watching the trainers and doctors of the Vikings checked him out and re taped his ankle, many wondered if he would answer the bell. But like a great title fighter he came back in to take his licks and fight his team one more time.
But was I happy the Vikings lost? No, I was relieved.
I was relieved that the one time QB of my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers wasn’t able to take the division rival to the Super Bowl. Throughout the year all Packer fans were expecting the “old” Favre to come back. We were waiting for Brett to begin forcing the ball, being intercepted and costing the Packers a possible victory. Green Bay fans would shrug it off as “Brett being Brett.” We felt that is what made him the QB that Packer fans fell in love with.
But the divorce wasn’t pretty and eventually Brett wanted to prove to the administration of the team that he parted ways with that he could still play. He did take Green Bay to the NFC Championship game in his last year in Wisconsin just two years ago and he knew there were still many touchdown throws left in that right arm.
This is an incredible honor and deserved recognition for all the folks who put in the effort and long nights to make the Sports Then and Now family successful. Thanks to you and all of our readers!
Some can even make an argument for “Big Ben” Roethlisberger. However, I think Roethlisberger needs about four more years to add to his body of work before he can be held in the same breath as Brady and Manning.
So how do we make the determination of who is the best all around quarterback? What variables will be used to measure both quarterbacks?
Browns team president, Mike Holmgren addressed the media for the first time today.
New Cleveland Browns President, Mike Holmgren addressed the media for the first time today. This is his first day on the job and he hit the ground running.
He has a lot of work ahead of him.
Decisions on his coaching staff especially head coach Eric Mangini.
The signing of Josh Cribbs.
Bringing the Cleveland Browns back to respectability and to a Super Bowl.
Holmgren brought the cities of Green Bay (1-1) and Seattle (0-1) Super Bowl appearances and has one Lombardi trophy on his resume.
He has rebuilt franchises and there is no reason he can’t do it in Cleveland.
As a team executive, you need to be able to speak to the media and keep them abreast of the workings of the team.
He did a stellar job in his first press conference. Holmgren had the media in the palm of his hand.
As a Cleveland Browns fan, he is making me drink the kool aid.
Bill Bradley was a three-time All-American at Princeton.
In honor of the upcoming NCAA “March Madness”, we recognize as the March Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month a former college basketball superstar who helped lift a college not known for its basketball prowess to unprecedented heights.
Bill Bradley embodied the true meaning of the term student-athlete. A Rhode scholar, Bradley was a three-time All-American at Princeton University and was the College Basketball Player of the Year as a senior in 1965.
March 15, 1958 - Cincinnati Royals basketball star Maurice Stokes suffers a seizure following a playoff game with Detroit. He goes into a coma and is permanently disabled.
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