Though Super Bowl XLI is chock-full of interesting subplots, lost among them all is that Sunday’s game has the potential to be an absolute classic.
Even for nonfans, the many parallel storylines hovering around the game add spice to an intriguing matchup featuring many star players.
The player with the biggest stake in this Super Bowl is clearly Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. After gaining a reputation for crumbling under pressure, Manning has led the Colts past his nemesis, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game Jan. 21. As the top-rated quarterback in the NFL, Manning and the Colts passing game will be at the center of their top-rated offense on Sunday.
Manning’s counterpart, Bears’ quarterback Rex Grossman, is a giant question mark because of inconsistency issues. At some points this season, Grossman played brilliantly, at others he has struggled so much that the media have called for his replacement. Some in the sports media still debate whether he may be the worst starting quarterback in Super Bowl history.
On the defensive side, both teams have hard-hitting, lightning-quick leaders. The Bears’ Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher is the latest in a history of great Chicago Bears linebackers including Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary. Safety Bob Sanders of the Colts is a playmaker and leader on defense. After being injured most of the season, his presence in the playoffs means they are, on average, giving up a touchdown less to their opponents than they did in the regular season. Both Urlacher and Sanders are fast, make bone-crunching tackles, and influence those they play with. Though the Bears were strong on defense all season, the Colts, led by Dwight Freeney, have played well and have surprised many in the playoffs.
One subplot to this Super Bowl is that both the Colts’ Tony Dungy and the Bears’ Lovie Smith are the first two black head coaches to appear in a championship. Smith was an assistant coach under Dungy when Dungy coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the two coaches still use the same defensive scheme they created together in Tampa, Fla.
Super Bowl XLI will be contested by two proud franchises. The Bears have been around since1920, and famously won their only other Super Bowl appearance in 1985 with Jim McMahon under center and Walter Payton in the backfield. The Colts, formed in 1953 in Baltimore, won their only Super Bowl in 1971 with the leadership of Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas.
After all is said and done and Dolphin Stadium’s lights have been extinguished until September, one thing is for certain: Every fan in attendance will have witnessed a game for the ages.
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