Finally,
after years of playoff frustration the Colts are Super Bowl
champions. For Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, and the rest of the
Colts who had played so well but consistently fallen short of
greatness, the monkey is gone and it couldn't have happened to better
guys.
I don't think that many would argue that the Colts are deserving
champs. Under Tony Dungy the Colts have become almost unbeatable
during the regular season. Peyton Manning is the best quarterback
in the game with an offensive unit as good as I've seen. The
Colts defense was as good as anyone in the playoffs, especially when it
counted the most.
In the first half it looked like both teams were trying to hand the
Lombardi trophy back and forth to one another with all of the
turnovers. Twice the Colts fumbled it away to the Bears, only to
have Chicago fumble on the ensuing play. The teams seemed
shaky and nervous early, but it was the Colts who got that problem
under control.
What the Colts have done on the field is what earned them the right to
call themselves Super Bowl Champions. It's who they are off the
field that makes them great champions.
I'm not saying they are all saints, I'm sure if you were to look hard
enough you could find a "Tank" Johnson on the Colts roster.
However for the most part you see a group of guys that work hard and
play as a team. In the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl you
didn't hear the Colts trash talking, despite the fact that they were
decided favorites.
Tony Dungy became the first African-American coach to win the big game,
but afterwards he was more proud of winning the right way.
During the post game celebration Dungy said he valued his faith and
sensitive demeanor more than what the win meant in terms of race.
"I'm proud to represent the African-American coaches. It means an awful
lot to this country. [But] we're more proud of that."
Congratulations to the new Super Bowl Champs, the Indianapolis
Colts. Congratulations are also in store for the Bears. It
was a great season for a great team that will be back twice as hungry
next year. Like Dungy, Lovie Smith is a coach that doesn't ever
yell or cuss at his players to get what he wants. The success of
these two coaches will no doubt set a new standard for African-American
coaches, but maybe in terms of coaching in general.
