No Way, Jose!!!: Bautista's ridiculous demands should anger Jays' fans

               Toronto Blue Jays’ right-fielder Jose Bautista caused a bit of a stir Monday at the team’s Spring Training facilities. His contract is up at the end of this year and he wants to be paid. At 36, he is headed towards what will likely be his last contract before his career ends and he wants to get as much as possible. On the surface, it looks like he is justified. He has been one of the best players in baseball over the last half-dozen years or so and he has a right to demand what he thinks he is worth.

                But on Tuesday, when the numbers came out--$150 million over five years—and were reported by multiple sources, despite Bautista denying the numbers, and his insistence that his demands are not up for negotiation, it exposes the slugger for exactly what he is—an arrogant, selfish, attention-seeking prima donna that could possibly lead to a huge distraction for a team looking to build on a division crown from last season. Bautista’s childish actions have come at the wrong time for the Blue Jays.

                It would be in the club’s best interest to trade him now—right now, don’t wait for the season to begin—and get rid of the negativity that he will most likely bring to the club and cause dissension that will ultimately lead to a horrible season on the field as well as off of it. Anyone who thinks he is worth more than twice as much as the reigning American League MVP—and going out of his way to call out the Jays’ management and ownership—should be sent packing.

                But before we get into that, let’s make one thing clear: what Bautista has brought to the Blue Jays in terms of production and excitement must never be forgotten. In his eight years with the team since the end of the 2008 season, he has had 243 home runs, 632 RBIs, 885 hits, a .264 batting average, 630 runs scored, is a six-time All-Star Game selection, a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting twice. His towering home runs have left the fans, teammates and opponents in awe.

                His professionalism in handling the steroid accusations of several years ago was remarkable. And let’s not forget his home run in the fifth game of the ALDS last October against the Texas Rangers that propelled Toronto into its first ALCS in more than two decades. When he signed his current contract—that expires at the end of the 2016 season—in 2011, he basically took less money than he may have received from other teams—“a home-town discount” in his words—to stay with Toronto.

                But all of this has been soured over the past 48 hours with the ultimatum he has given to the club’s management. Spring Training hasn’t even started yet for position players; that happens on Friday. Only pitchers and catchers are required in camp right now, yet he showed up, called an impromptu press conference and has already become a cancer for what looks like a team with a shot at a World Series Championship in 2016.

                And with this little, spoiled brat, sense of entitlement, he has demonstrated his pure selfishness with a capital “$”. He has put himself above the team and thinks he’s bigger than the rest of his teammates. Several months ago, he said he wanted to retire as a Blue Jay. Now he’s made a salary demand so ridiculous that he knows there’s no way the management will accept it. And even more childish is that he waited until Spring Training started rather than say something at the end of the 2015 season. And why? Simply to draw more attention to himself and take the focus off where it should be: the Blue Jays’ team.

                He must go, there’s no question about it. He has become a distraction, and rather than building on the progress Toronto made in 2015, this will simply bring it down and crush any postseason aspirations for this year. And even while the trade with the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Jay Bruce fell through, Toronto should keep pursuing it and make it work. Bruce hit 28 home runs last year for a horrible Cincinnati team. He more than likely would hit 35 with the Rogers Centre being his home park, more of a home run park than Great American Ballpark in Cinci.

                He could fill the number three spot, sandwiched between AL MVP Josh Donaldson and DH Edwin Encarnacion. And his acquisition would make Bautista expendable. And better to get rid of the selfish one now while you can still get some value in return. Some pitching prospects and some draft picks would be nice to get. But just get rid of him.

                Twenty years ago, Roberto Alomar left Toronto on a sour note. It took years for the fans to forgive but eventually everything was made right. I’m sure the same will happen with Bautista down the road. But right now, the fans have every right to be angry with him. And I hope they all show it if he’s still wearing the uniform when April rolls around.

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What's on deck for 2016

“Ah! The rites of Spring begin anew….”

--John Robertson, Toronto Sun, February 23, 1983

                When I was nine years old, in the Spring of 1985 (yes, I realize that makes me 40 now), I got a book from the school library. It was entitled “Ok Ok Blue Jays: The story of the 1983 season.” It was a collection of articles journalist John Robertson wrote for the Toronto Sun detailing the adventures of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1983, from Spring Training right through to their final game. It was a book I read over and over again. I must have signed it out from the library about half a dozen times before my teacher finally told me I needed to get something else.

                We moved a year later, to a new town and a new school that didn't have a copy of that book in their library. It was gone forever. Fast forward to the fall of 1989 and I was with my family at the Norfolk County Fair in Simcoe, Ontario. We were walking along, looking at some of the booths when I noticed a stack of those “Ok Ok Blue Jays” books on a table. They were selling for two dollars. Needless to say, I bought one. I still have it and have read it time and time again. While there was something special about that 1983 season (it was the first time Toronto didn’t finish in the basement), it was the first line in the first article that I think about every year when Spring Training rolls around again: the rites of Spring being anew…

                I always get excited when the baseballers gather in either Florida or Arizona to start their exhibition schedule but for 2016, I’m a little bit more excited than usual this year. 2016 will be the first season that I will be writing this blog for an entire baseball season (I didn’t get going last year until the middle of July). Coincidentally, 2016 also happens to be the 40^th season of the Toronto Blue Jays—my favourite team if you hadn’t noticed yet.

                And after spending four months wracking my brain to write stories about College Football, the NFL, the World Junior Hockey Championship and the NHL, I can breathe easier now as my first love—baseball—will now come to the fore. But before we take the deep plunge into the baseball season, I thought I would update you on what “Top Of The Third” has in store for you this year.

                As mentioned, with 2016 being the Blue Jays’ 40^th—and with me being a fan—the blog is going to be Blue Jay-heavy this year. And while I understand that not everyone who reads the blog is a fan of the team, I think you will find some fun in everything that will be published over the course of the year. As we look at the previous 39 seasons of Blue Jays’ baseball, here’s what we will offer:

--a Top 40 list featuring the 40 best Blue Jays’ players ever

--a Top 25 list featuring the 25 most important games in team history

--a “This Day in Blue Jays’ history” feature

--a YouTube page that will contain complete Blue Jays’ games from over the years

(mostly from the 80s and early 90s, and 2015)

                As for the Top 40 players, it is my hope to have them all done before the All-Star break. Then the Top 25 games will begin after the break. And, besides the Jays, we have much else planned as well.

--our “This Day in Baseball history” feature will continue

--Hall of Fame week will feature profiles on this year’s inductees:

Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr.

--Hall of Fame week will also feature a Top Five list of Players 

who aren’t in the Hall, but should be

--During the All-Star break, we will look back at some 

memorable All-Star games from the 70s and 80s

--a tribute to the 1981 Montreal Expos, 35 years after 

the only postseason appearance in team history

--for the 100^th Anniversary of Wrigley Field in Chicago, we will look at some 

great Cubs’ players who played within the great ivy walls

--there will also be a section entitled “Recommended Reading” 

which will feature baseball book reviews

                For the month of October, we will take the entire month to take a look back in MLB postseason history. For each day of the month, we will examine a big game from that particular date (no Blue Jays here as most of their big games will have already been covered in the Top 25 list.)

                And due to request, at times in April and May, we will step away from baseball and look at some memorable series from the Stanley Cup playoffs. These will happen once a week from the start of the playoffs to the Cup being raised, and most likely will look at series from the 80s and 90s.

                All-in-all, I’m excited to bring the 2016 baseball season—from a fan’s perspective—to you. Please like our Facebook page and sign-up for all posts to be delivered right to your email’s inbox. For all those who sign up for email, there will be a draw for prizes at the end of the season.

                It all gets underway on March 1^st, when we will begin our season previews of all 30 MLB teams.

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Dude, what's with that shirt?

                For my last non-baseball related post before Spring Training gets underway next week, I thought it might be fun to look back and see some photos of NHL Super Stars who just didn’t look right in the uniforms of certain teams. While there are no longer any Nicklas Lidstrom’s who play their whole 20-year career with one team, something seemed missing when these famous players donned the jerseys of teams they didn’t belong with.

#10. Brett Hull, Phoenix Coyotes

                After rising to superstardom with the St. Louis Blues from 1987-98, Hull then went on to play three seasons with the Dallas Stars and three season with Detroit Red Wings, winning a Stanley Cup with each team. Not willing to call it a career, he decided to play after the lock-out for the Phoenix Coyotes for the 2005-06 season. The experiment lasted only five games, with Hull recording only one assist while playing in the desert.

#9. Grant Fuhr, Calgary Flames

                Grant Fuhr will always be an Edmonton Oilers. Even though he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, then to the Buffalo Sabres, then to the Los Angeles Kings, then to the St. Louis Blues, he still remains an Oiler to all hockey fans. However, Fuhr’s final NHL stop was with the Oilers’ provincial rival, the Calgary Flames. In 23 games with the Flames, he was 5-13-2 with a 3.83 goals against average. But seeing Fuhr wearing Calgary’s jersey just didn’t sit well with me, and I’m sure a lot of 80s Oiler fans would agree.

#8. Brian Leetch, Toronto Maple Leafs

                After 17 seasons with the New York Rangers, including a Stanley Cup victory, Rookie of the Year honours, two Norris Trophies, and a nine-time All-Star, Leetch was traded at the deadline in the 2003-04 season to the Leafs for a handful of prospects and draft picks. The Rangers were looking to dump salary and the Leafs were in one of their “let’s buy up a lot of washed-up All-Stars” phases so the deal worked perfectly. But seeing Leetch wear the blue and white didn’t make any sense on so many levels.

#7. Dominik Hasek, Ottawa Senators

                Two years as a back-up to Ed Belfour in Chicago. Nine years as the best goaltender in the world with the Buffalo Sabres, in which he won six Vezina Trophies, two Hart Trophies, was a six-time NHL First Team All-Star. Then off to Detroit in 2002 to win a Stanley Cup before retiring. Then a return to Detroit. Then he signs with……Ottawa? Even while he played well with the Sens before being injured in the 2006 Olympics, Hasek looked out of place in a Sens jersey. After one year in Ottawa, he went back to Detroit for the final two years of his career, winning another Stanley Cup, although this time as the back-up to Chris Osgood.

#6. Brendan Shanahan, Hartford Whalers

                While most remembered for his time with the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings, Shanahan's trip between those two teams was bridged with a brief stop in Hartford. Traded by St. Louis to Hartford for Chris Pronger, Shanahan was named Captain of the Whalers and played in two games before being shipped to Detroit.

#5. Mats Sundin, Vancouver Canucks

                Arguably the best player in Toronto Maple Leafs history, Sundin knew he would never win a Cup with Toronto and signed as a free agent with Vancouver prior to the 2008-09 season. The thing that hurt Leaf fans the most was that even though he knew he wouldn’t be returning, Sundin refused to waive his no-trade clause in the 2007-08 season so the team he led for 13 seasons could get some prospects or draft picks for him. Unfortunately, they got nothing.

#4 Wendel Clark, Detroit Red Wings

                While a handful of former Toronto Maple Leafs went on to win Stanley Cups with Detroit (Bob Rouse, Larry Murphy, Jamie Macoun and Dmitri Mironov), Clark’s move to Hockeytown never paid off. And besides that, both Toronto and Detroit fans who remember the Probert/Clark fisticuffs over the years, couldn’t stomach the sight of Clark in red and white.

#3. Jaromir Jagr, Washington Capitals,

New York Rangers,

Philadelphia Flyers,

Dallas Stars,

Boston Bruins,

New Jersey Devils,

Florida Panthers

                Jaromir Jagr will always be a Pittsburgh Penguin, no matter how much of a journeyman he has become.

#2. Raymond Bourque, Colorado Avalanche

                The life-long Bruin defenseman and all-star, Bourque took 21 years of his Boston career and sold it for a shot of glory. Instead of being on the list of players who were devoted to one team and one team only, he sold out for a Stanley Cup.

#1. Wayne Gretzky, St. Louis Blues

                While I had a hard time accepting Gretzky’s trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles in the summer of 1988, I eventually accepted him as an LA King. However, the trade to St. Louis in the middle of the 1995-96 season was strange. The Kings were looking to rebuild and Gretzky was on his way to the Rangers as a free agent, so LA decided they would find some sucker to give them some prospects and draft picks. St. Louis bit. For three prospects and two picks, St. Louis got Gretzky for 31 games, including playoffs. It was a bad trade for St. Louis and Gretzky looked totally out of place in that jersey.

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Ten Horrible NHL Third Jerseys

                Okay, so in keeping with our theme of “What the…….?”, today we look at the top ten worst third jerseys in NHL history. I’m not even going to rank these because, well, they’re all pretty ugly. I’ll let you judge for yourself which is the worse. We’ll start with a third jersey that never was, and thank goodness it wasn’t because it would be—far and away—the worst jersey in NHL history.

St. Louis Blues

1996 (Proposed Only—Never happened)

                Ummmm…….yeah. Can you imagine any of the Blues’ players walking into the dressing room before a big game with division rival Chicago or Detroit and seeing THAT waiting for them. I think some immediate trade demands would have happened on the spot.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks

1995/96

                This jersey made its appearance in the mid-nineties (funny how most of these jerseys made their appearances in the mid90s) and to be honest, it wasn’t much worse than the main jersey the team had. But that’s what happens when Disney owns an NHL team.

Boston Bruins

1996-2006

                Right now is when I tell you, “No—that’s not a typo. They actually DID use this Winnie the Pooh look-a-like jersey for 11 seasons. And I follow that up with a, “No—I don’t know why.”

Calgary Flames

1998-2006

                Where to begin? First of all, that’s a horse breathing fire. I only realized that when I was putting together this list. I’m not sure what I thought it was while they used it. I can only imagine that I tried to pretend I wasn’t seeing it.

Carolina Hurricanes

2008-Present

                Yup, they still use this one. For starters, that’s a field hockey stick. And I’m not sure what that is on the flag, and the trim at the bottom of the jersey looks like they copied it from the Phoenix Coyotes’ first attempt at a jersey. But don’t worry, we’ll talk about Phoenix very shortly.

Dallas Stars

2003-06

                And now, my Simpsons' reference: “What in the name of high school football?!”

Edmonton Oilers

2001-07

                I grew up watching the Oiler dynasty at its highest peak in the 1980s. So to say something bad about anything this franchise does goes against every hockey fibre in my body. But if the management running the team fifteen years ago is the same as it is today, looking at this logo erases any questions I have about the sad state of the team now.

Los Angeles Kings

1995/96

                It’s good to see that Good King Wenceslas got his image on a hockey jersey. It’s just too bad the Great One had to lower himself by wearing it.

Phoenix Coyotes

1996-99

                Is there anything about this franchise that hasn’t been one big joke?

Vancouver Canucks

2001-06

                In my last post, I ridiculed the “skate” logo of the Vancouver Canucks. Then I had a change of heart when I saw them wear it on a black jersey (they wore those as road jerseys in the late 80s and deep into the 90s) in their game last Saturday night against Toronto. I said to myself that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. Then I found this.

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Top Five Worst NHL Logo Changes

                In keeping with our theme of hockey teams changing logos, today we will examine the five worst logo changes of all time. And this doesn’t even include ugly third jerseys.

#5. Quebec Nordiques

  

                This logo change actually never took place because the Nordiques moved to Denver following the 1994/95 season and became the Colorado Avalanche. But this is the logo and colours the Nords would have been using for that season had they stayed in Quebec. Some might say the original logo was a bit drab, but the one that was to be used in 1994/95 looks more suited to the AHL or junior hockey.

#4. Pittsburgh Penguins

                After winning two consecutive Stanley Cups with the old logo, the Penguins decided they wanted to ditch the cartoon bird in favour of this computerized, digitized version for the 1992/93 season. Needless to say it kind of made the Penguins look bland when they were on the ice and it didn’t translate into any more Cups wins. It was used for ten years before Pittsburgh wisely changed back to a modified cartoon bird in 2002/03.

#3. Buffalo Sabres

                The Sabres used the original logo for the first 26 years of the franchise and then decided they needed a change. But not only did they change the logo but the whole colour scheme as well. From blue and gold to black and red. And after keeping the hideous bison head for ten years, they introduced another one that, while in the original blue and gold, looked even more ridiculous. Thankfully in 2010, the Sabres smartened up and reverted to the original.

#4. Vancouver Canucks

                As you can see, the Canucks have a history of bad logos. But while the original kind of looks like they hired me, with my artistic talent, to design it, without a doubt it’s the best of the bunch, but only by process of elimination. Then they introduced the skate logo in the late seventies with the red, yellow and black colour scheme, which pretty much suited the 1980s. But then in 1997, they came up with the current logo and…..well, they say the third time’s the charm but maybe Vancouver will get it right whenever they come up with the fourth logo. At least the colours are nice.

#1. New York Islanders

                All I can say, is----what the………? Thankfully, it only lasted two seasons.

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New Leaf Logo Long Overdue

                Last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled a new logo that will be the symbol of the franchise starting from the 2016/17 season. Before we go any further, let me say that even though I am not a fan of the team, I like the new logo and feel like the change is long overdue.

                Now, a co-worker of mine mentioned that he heard on a London, Ontario radio morning show that the hosts were making fun of the logo. They condescendingly mocked it as too old, something that had significance 60 years ago and no longer relevant today. First let me say, they should focus more on improving their morning show, because it’s rather stale and boring. Second, I feel it’s good to look back to the past and use the success from then to plant seeds for future success.

                Okay, since that’s out of the way, let’s look at the reasons why I like the new/old Leaf logo. First of all, why was a change needed in the first place? The other five original six teams basically have the same logo they used during the Original Six Era. New York still has “RANGERS” descending from left to right across the jersey. Montreal still has the “C” and “H”. Detroit still has the winged wheel, Boston has the “B” and Chicago has their native warrior. I know the Leafs still use a maple leaf but the logo introduced prior to the 1970/71 season—and has been used for the last 46 years—looked more like a cut-out from arts and crafts class more than something taken from a maple tree.

                Let’s look at some other teams that are still using their original logo. The Buffalo Sabres, after a decade of that horrible, heavy breathing bison head, are using the one they had when they entered the league back in the seventies. The Islanders (we’ll forget the couple of years they had Captain Hi-lander), Flyers, Oilers, and Blues also use their original logo. Sometimes teams get caught up in a marketing blitz and introduce new logos and jerseys (Anaheim, Ottawa) just for the sake of selling merchandise. It’s nice to see teams that don’t fall into this pattern.

                But the real reason I’m glad to see the current logo go is simple. It represents everything that has been wrong with the Toronto Maple Leaf franchise over the past 46 years. When I see that logo, I see Harold Ballard, a cheapskate owner not willing to spend money on making his team better and a Cold War, prejudiced old fossil, hell-bent on keeping any Russian hockey player out of Maple Leaf Gardens. As TSN’s Dave Hodge once said when he was with CBC, (and I’m paraphrasing) Ballard should spend less time worrying about letting the Russians play in the Gardens and more time worrying about the NHL teams he does let in who embarrass the Leafs on a regular basis.

                The logo also represents a host of other mind-boggling episodes that have happened over the last half-century. The logo is General Manager Punch Imlach, feuding with Darryl Sittler, and unable to trade him, instead trades his best friend on the team, Lanny McDonald, just to spite Sittler. It’s trading Russ Courtnall to Montreal for John Kordic. It’s the decision to make your team a bunch of goons in the late 80s by signing Dave Semenko and Al Secord.

                It’s stripping Rick Vaive of the captaincy after being a few minutes late for a meeting (Ballard again). It’s firing Pat Burns after the head coach breathed some life back into the team in the mid-nineties and flirted with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. It’s firing Pat Quinn a decade later after the coach/general manager led another mini-revival.

                It’s signing or trading for over-the-hill players like Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Brian Leetch and Phil Housley. It’s hiring a guy like John Ferguson Jr. as a General Manager when he has no experience in the role. It’s firing a guy like Bryan Burke, someone who knows what he’s doing, when he was guiding the team towards the light at the end of tunnel. It’s the fact that the team was owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund and no one on the board cared about success for the team, as long as the dollars kept rolling in.

                It’s having arguably the best player the franchise has had in the last half-century, Mats Sundin, and not surrounding him with talented players to make him an even better player than he was.

                I could keep going but I’ll conclude by saying that Leaf fans everywhere should be rejoicing at the arrival of the team’s new logo. And take that symbol of 46 years of ineptitude—and made what was once a great franchise into the league’s laughing stock—and burn it.

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Top 25 Super Bowl Moments: #22-25

22.       Super Bowl 43 – Harrison’s run

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl 43, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowls. But it wasn’t easy and the game wasn’t decided until the final minute when Steeler quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, hit receiver Santonio Holmes with the game-winning touchdown pass.

But it was the final play of the first half that was the game’s key moment. With 18 seconds left in the half, the Steelers were ahead 10-7 but the Cards were threatening to take the lead. Arizona QB, Kurt Warner, dropped back to pass and thought he spotted an open receiver. However, Pittsburgh linebacker, James Harrison, who had faked the blitz but dropped back into pass coverage, stepped in front of the ball and intercepted it at the goal line. He then took off running down the right sideline with an army of Steeler blockers to help him.

At about the Arizona 40-yard line, he started to run out of steam but kept chugging. As the seconds wound down, I remember thinking it might be best for him to step out of bounds to give Pittsburgh a shot at a field goal, because he’s never going to make it to the end zone. But he kept going, a touchdown in his sights. Finally, at about the five-yard line, Arizona receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, finally caught Harrison and tried to tackle him. He succeeded but the linebacker didn’t hit the ground until he had taken the ball past the goal line for a touchdown. At the time, it was the longest play in Super Bowl history.

23.       Super Bowl 44 – Payton’s gutsy call

Three years after their victory over the Bears, the Indianapolis Colts were back in the Super Bowl, this time taking on the New Orleans Saints. And while the Colts, led by superstar quarterback, Payton Manning, were favoured to win the game, it was the call by another Payton, Sean Payton, the Saints’ head coach, that would be turning point of Super Bowl 44.

The first half ended with a Saints’ field goal that made the score 10-6 in favour of Indianapolis and the Colts were to receive the second-half kick off. But Coach Payton called “Ambush”, an onside-kick attempt to start the half. While the kick traveled farther than planned, it bounced of the facemask of a member of the Colts’ return team and a mad scramble ensued. After it was determined the Saints had recovered the ball, QB Drew Brees led the team to their first touchdown of the game.

While the game would remain close and not be decided until an interception return for a touchdown by Saints’ defensive back, Tracy Porter, it was Payton’s gutsy call on the second half kick off that turned the game in favour of New Orleans.

The final score was 31-17.

24.       Super Bowl 46 – Brady gets beat by Eli again

When the final gun sounded at the end of the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 46, and the last second desperation pass fired by New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, had fallen harmlessly to the turf, the Pats found themselves on the losing effort in another Super Bowl against the New York Giants, this time by a score of 21-17.

To date, the Patriots, under Brady and head coach Bill Belichik, have played in six Super Bowls. They have won four and lost two. The two they have lost were against the New York Giants and both the times, New England was favoured to win the games. But it seemed like the Giants defense knew how to deal with Brady, and New York quarterback, Eli Manning, saved his most precise passes for the Patriots.

The Giants finished the regular season with a slightly above average 9-7 record. One of those wins was in week nine, an away 24-20 decision over the Patriots, in which Eli fired the winning TD pass to tight end Jake Ballard with just over a minute left in the game. Had the Patriots won that game, chances are the Giants would not have even made the playoffs and New England’s chances of winning the Super Bowl would have been greater, since New York wouldn’t be around to spoil the party for them.

And in the Super Bowl, Eli sparkled again on a game-winning TD drive, including a beautifully thrown 38-yard pass that landed into the outstretched arms of Giant receiver, Mario Manningham. Manning finished the game completing 75 per cent of his passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. And another victory over the Patriots in a Super Bowl.

25.       Super Bowl 47 – Brother against brother

Our final memorable moment occurred in the 47^th Super Bowl, a matchup that pitted the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers. It had been 12 years since the Ravens had won their only Super Bowl, and it had been 18 since the 49ers had won their last.

The most intriguing aspect of the game was the two head coaches. The Ravens were coached by John Harbaugh while the 49ers were coached by Jim Harbaugh. It was the first time in NFL history that two brothers were the head coaches of the teams in the championship game.

             It was a thrilling match-up that included a 34-minute delay caused by a power failure. The final score of the game was 34-31 in favour of Baltimore. The record for the longest play in a Super Bowl, the 100-yard touchdown interception return of Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker James Harrison that I mentioned earlier—was broken by Baltimore kick returner, Jacob Jones, who took the second half kick off and returned it 108 yards for a touchdown.

The 49ers never led the game but their 25 points in the second half made the finish tighter than expected, after the Ravens had built a 22-point lead.

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Top 25 Memorable Super Bowl Moments: #19-21

      

       As I mentioned during the posts relating to the Conference Championship games, the Super Bowls throughout the 80s and 90s were rather one-sided. But starting in 2001, 10 of the next 14 Super Bowls weren't decided until the final few minutes. Here's a look at a few of those games.

19.      Super Bowl 38 – A wild fourth quarter

The New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three years as they defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 32-29. But it was an exciting fourth quarter that saw the teams combine for 37 points and produce a memorable finish.

With the Patriots leading 14-10 at the end of three, they added to the lead on the second play of the fourth quarter with running back, Antowain Smith, running the ball in from two yards out. New England now led 21-10. But the Panthers quickly countered that TD with one of their own. Carolina running back, DeShaun Foster, scampered for a 33-yard TD run but the two-point convert attempt failed and the score was 21-16.

After Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady, threw an interception, Carolina pivot, Jake Delhomme, connected on the longest TD pass in Super Bowl history, an 85-yard catch and run by receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Again, a two-point convert was attempted and missed, making the score 22-21 in favour of the Panthers.

A 68-yard scoring drive for the Patriots followed, with Brady throwing a one-yard TD pass to Mike Vrabel, a linebacker who lined up as a tight end for goal line situations. The Pats were successful on their two-point attempt and were now leading the game 29-22.

The Panthers responded with a game-tying TD drive of their own, capped by a 12-yard pass from Delhomme to receiver, Ricky Proehl. But a poor kick-off that sailed out-of-bounds and a pass interference call doomed the Panthers as New England was able to move the ball into field goal range for their kicker, Adam Vinatieri. The veteran nailed a 41-yarder to give the Patriots the Super Bowl with a 32-29 victory.

20.       Super Bowl 41 – The Opening Kickoff

                  The Indianapolis Colts were in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1970 season when they were known as the Baltimore Colts. The Chicago Bears were in the big game for the first time since their dominating performance over the Patriots after the 1985 season.
                  The Bears won the toss and elected to receive. I was watching the game with my girlfriend, who would later become my wife, who knew little about football and was relying on me to share my wealth of information on the sport so she could enjoy the game a bit better. Before Indianapolis kicker, Adam Vinatieri, put the ball in play to start the Super Bowl, she asked me, “Is it easy to score points in this game?”
                   My reply was, “No, it’s actually quite difficult.” The ball was in the air before my response was finished. Bears’ returner, Devon Hester, accepted the kick off and proceeded to run 92 yards for the first opening kickoff return touchdown in Super Bowl history, and make me look like I knew absolutely nothing about football.
                  “That looked pretty easy to me,” I heard someone beside me say.
                  However, the kickoff wasn’t enough for the Bears, as the Colts would come back to win the game by a score of 29-17.

21.       Super Bowl 42 – Eighteen wins….and one “Giant” loss

The New York Giants prevented the New England Patriots from completing the first perfect season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The Giants’ defense slapped the sass and sarcasm out of Patriot quarterback, Tom Brady, who—in an interview during Super Bowl week—scoffed at and mocked Giant receiver, Plaxico Burress’s suggestion that the Giants’ D would hold the Patriots to less than 20 points.

Well, they did just that as New York won the game by a score of 17-14. But it was one play on the Giants’ winning touchdown drive that stands out most of all. On a third-and-five play from the New York 44 with just over a minute remaining, Giant quarterback, Eli Manning, was able to shake off three New England pass rushers, two of which had him by his jersey but couldn’t bring him down. Eli stood up and fired a pass down the middle of the field towards receiver David Tyree. Both Tyree and Patriot defender, Rodney Harrison, jumped for the ball, but Tyree got the ball first—with one hand. As he fell to the ground, Tyree was unable to bring his free hand to secure the catch and instead managed to pin the ball to the back of his helmet, while keeping the pigskin from touching the ground. (See picture at the top of the post.)

A few plays after what was obviously the best catch in Super Bowl history, Manning fired the winning score to—fittingly—Burress from 13 yards out. The catch by Tyree would prove to be the last of his career, as he suffered a serious knee injury in training camp the following summer and would never play again.

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