A Super Bowl for the Ages

            The Super Bowl that took place in the February of 2015 between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks is one for the ages. It was full of drama with both sides showing signs of dominance throughout the 60 minutes that was Super Bowl forty-nine. For the Seahawks, this is a game that will haunt them for years to come. For the patriots, lives changed in the matter of thirty seconds. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick received their forth ring together, Malcolm Butler went from an undrafted free agent to an instant celebrity, and finally, the Patriots over came the drama that was “Deflategate”. This was an accusation made against the Patriots for using deflated footballs in the AFC championship game against the Colts. This was a huge distraction and seamed like what would be a plague to the organization if true. It put the untouchable legacies of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady at stake. If proved false, this would have been a terrible move by the NFL, putting one of their Super Bowl teams under scrutiny.

            For Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, this was a life changing event that was nearly impossible to comprehend. 30 seconds prior to his interception, he let up a remarkable play by Seahawk’s wide receiver, Jerome Kearse. This was a catch for the ages and seemed to put the nail in the coffin and seal a second consecutive Super Bowl win for the Seattle Seahawks. This spectacular play landed them inside the ten yard line with about thirty seconds to go. The spirits of all Patriots fans across the country, this was a horrible experience and it brought back nightmares from their prior Super Bowl appearance against the New York Giants with David Tyree’s “helmet catch”. The old cliché of “history does nothing but repeat itself” seemed too real and it was extremely depressing. BUT, as the Seahawks can attest to after their dramatic come from behind, overtime NFC Championship win against the Green Bay Packers, the games not over until it’s over. Pete Carroll, Seahawks head coach, made the decision to pass the ball on second down from the one yard line rather than handing the ball off to “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson, dropped back and fired the ball to an incoming quick slant. And this is where we will pause. So many things happened in this split second that could have changed history forever. Patriot’s cornerback, Brandon Browner, jammed his man on the line, preventing the pick play that was designed. Meanwhile, Malcolm Butler read this play like a book. This was a play that he ran what seemed like a thousand times and got beat every single time. Not this time, he made a direct break on the ball and got there just before the receiver. He intercepted the ball and sealed the game for another Patriot’s Super Bowl Victory. The story of Malcolm Butler is one for the ages and can be used as inspiration for anyone that failed to achieve their goal at first. It is one that will live in NFL history forever.

"Sacking the Super Bowl"

In "Sacking the Super Bowl" by Steve Almond, we as the reader are exposed to an alternate way of thinking about what is today, America's greatest sporting even, the Super Bowl. Almond does so by linking many of the leagues problems with some of his own family tragedies. It is well known that in football, not simply the NFL, concussions are a severe problem. The multitude of concussions, or even sub-concussive hits can add up and lad to severe brain trauma. This can be linked back to Steve's mother who was diagnosed with dementia, which is a common disorder in ex- football players. Prior to this tragic event, Almond makes it blatantly clear that he no longer supports the NFL, and will be going "cold turkey" on what has arguably become America's past time. As a reader of this article, and an avid fan of the NFL, I for the most part disagree with his stance on the issue. When it comes to amateur football, I completely understand the harm that such a sport can pose. However, when it comes to the NFL my stance on the argument is the contrary. These professional football players are in many cases making millions of dollars to play a sport they love. Instead of working in an office, or as a teacher, a firefighter, etc., these men are getting paid millions to play a game in which others would kill for an opportunity at. When these players accept the money, they understand the risks that follow. For example, injuries to any part of the body, including brain trauma. Anyway, this is my stance on this on-going argument as a both a fan of the NFL, and the sport in general.