 MY SUPER BOWL TRIP, BY RAM-BLE (Feb 3) |
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1. PRE-KICKOFF. Went to the
Super Bowl with my wife. It was THE GREATEST experience of my life. If I can encourage anything here, I urge you to go next time. Here's what happened leading up to the kickoff: * Arrived Saturday. Went to dinner that evening at the Palm restaurant in Buckhead. Guess who went there Saturaday night too? John Shaw and Al Michaels. I found that out in the papers. I didn't see them unfortunately. You know me...being a John Shaw groupie...I'd have asked for his chin strap. * Went to the stadium Sunday at 2:00pm. Gates opened at 3:00. Was being extra cautious, read neurotic. * The 3 1/2 hours before kickoff absolutely flew. Now, I LOVE to watch the players warm up, stretch, work out, etc. But, it seemed like 15 minutes. Honest, the guys I particularily noticed included Mike Jones, who was out there the longest. Laid on the carpet on his back stretching and relaxing, while headphones kept him oblivious as others ran all around him. * Also, noticed Wistrom, who looked dedicated. Az who wore pin curls or braids or something. * And Kurt Warner, who had that aura of "the man". He looked confident, important, respected....highly by the others. Surprised me since he's so new to stardom. * We were in the lower level, 13 yard line, 15th row. Great seats. * Spotted 5 or 6 fans with #38 Coady jerseys on in our section before the game. Many of them in their 20's. Figured they gotta be family. So, I went down to them and told them how I do internet and how "the Herd" is excited about Rich Coady in the Rams future. They liked to hear that. They ALL looked like Rich. 2. THE GAME. I really "knew" I was watching the Super Bowl. Something important. Something special. It felt it. I was a crazed fan the whole game. Cheering like a maniac and wildly happy the first three quarters. Screamed things like....when we won the coin toss, I started screaming, "7-nothing"! When we led 9-0 and blocked the FG early third Qtr, I began yelling, "Put 'em away! Put 'em away!" Then, however, in that 4th Qtr, where we were exhausted, and could not tackle George or McNair, I became silent, totally spent, thought I was s-o-o-o-o emotional that I'd for sure have a heart attack. Just emotionally empty. Then, the pass. Caught right by me. What courage in the call. So happy for Bruce, who has never been given his justice in the world's eyes. Immediately, tho, turned to my wife and said, "It's not over." The last play...Mike Jones...that was down the other end. But, I saw it clearly. Knew we won, but in an instant...the Rams flooded the field and this UNBELIEVABLE blizzard of silver confetti made it hard to see thru it to the joy. That's forever etched in my memeory. That scene. That confetti. 3. VERMEIL WAS INCREDULOUS. My guy, Dick Vermeil, was as incredulous as can be near the end of the Super Bowl. I saw this later on HBO's "Inside The NFL." The scene was :26 seconds to go with the Titans driving and the Super Bowl and immortality on the line. It musta been just the play before McNair slipped Carter's and Willams's tackles to throw to Dyson at the 10 yard line with :06 sec. What happens is KEVIN CARTER and D'MARCO FARR TAKE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!! Vermeil and me can't believe it. He said, "It's 26 seconds! 26 seconds and you're taking yourself out????? Hey, coach (he says to an assistant), these guys are comin' out with 26 seconds left?!?!?!" We were that dead tired. You could really see it at the game. Hell, Carter hardly rushed the whole last drive. And, I don't think he was "containing McNair". He was shot. I was too. I almost had to come out of the game as a fan too. Close to a heart attack. I'm dead serious. Coulda been serious dead. 4. OLD HACKER HAD THE GAME KEY! I went to that game having read (and still reading) everything about the Rams printed by man. All the stuff on all these BB's too. Read on the plane. In the room. On the throne. Two things stuck out. Hank Stram, who I consider somewhat a fool, nonetheless had 28 of the last 30 Super Bowl winners by some system he uses to evaluate the teams. We had like +74 and the Titans like +49 or so in his ratings of strengths. But, more interesting, and totally on the mark was what Old Hacker said here. He told us that he can tell how Warner will be in warmups. He saw Warner off only twice all year. The first Tiatns game and the Bucs playoff. He said Warner those times seemed tight, was wild high, and generally innacurate. All other times, Warner was razor sharp. And played that way. So, I was looking for that. I trust Old Hacker. Guess what? I watched Warner in warmups for the Super Bowl. He looked good. I couldn't compare tho....to Warner other times. But, he looked good compared to other NFL QB's in warmups. But, what matters is this. I just replayed a tape of Inside The NFL on HBO. In it, Vermeil is asking Martz in warmups, "How does he look?" Martz bolts back, "Awesome. He's gonna play real well today." That old sage burner, Old Hacker, knows his herbs. HE DID HAVE THE KEY!!!!!! 5. GUESS WHO. Immediately after Mike Jones made "that tackle", the lady behind me asked who made the tackle. The lady was obviously a Rams fan, dressed in a Rams sweatshirt, hat, etc. She was blond, about 45, very nice and sweet. Was with her 2 daughters, who were about 17-20 years old. Also dressed as Rams fans. We had rejoiced a number of times before during the game...high-fiving, smiling, etc. I figured she was from St. Louis, as I had by now seen so many like her from there. So, when she asked who made the tackle, I said, "That's Mike Jones. He's from Mizzourah." Was trying to talk her language. I then explained he's a local kid, who went to college locally. An hour later, as we were leaving, she spotted my Los Angeles Rams jacket that I had on. She asked if I was from Los Angeles. I say what I always say. No, I'm not from Los Angeles. I'm not from St. Louis. I'm a Rams fan for 50 years. And you know, the Rams never really played in Los Angeles. And they don't play in St. Louis now. She, of course, looks at me like I'm crazy, wondering what I could possibly mean. I then said, "They don't play in LA or St. Louis. They play on TV!" See, to me, that's where I've always seen them. And, their stadium could be in any city. Can't tell from my TV. She laughed. And said, "Oh, my husband used to play for the Los Angeles Rams." Really? "Yes, 1973 thru 1977." I figured I'd know him. Some backup LB, who hung on a few years. Then she said, "Yes. Ron Jaworski." I said, "RON JAWORSKI!!!!!" And, I then raved about his knowledge, his great TV work, his relationship and love for Vermeil, which she confirmed. 6. THE AFTERMATH. After the awards ceremony at midfield, some players ran around the edge of the stadium. I decided to go down the railing where I saw a clump of fans grouping for some reason. Then, Mike Gruttadauria and Adam Timmerman came right there, and reached up for their wives...like Warner does. They also rejoiced with their families there. I was 4 feet away from their faces, hearing their happiness, their exhaustion, their amazement. Timmerman held his 1 year old or so child. I beamed with ecstasy looking Gruttadauria in the eye and saying, "All that work. All that effort. You did it!" He beamed back. He also threw his wrist band to some guy he seemed to know. Before we left, I went to the souvenier stand. Didn't want any of the NFC Champs stuff they had. But, then I spotted a T-shirt ($35) and sweatshirt ($65) with the Super Bowl logo and "World Champions" on it. Also had the Rams horns logo centered. Turns out this is what our coaches and players had on after the game. I didn't know that til later. I bought a sweatshirt. You know, it's so simple and un-fancy that it is that special. Because it's the real deal. The one at the stadium. The only. We went out partying. Out til 3:00 am. In Buckhead. There's only one area in Buckhead with bars, clubs, etc. at that hour. Read later that Ray Lewis was also there somewhere when the murder happened at 4:00 am. I did not recognize his club in the news reports on TV. Of course, never saw him either. I saw Don Criqui waiting with us for our flight to Newark. Finally, in the airport waiting for the flight home, a guy spots my sweatshirt. He says, "Where did you get that?" I said at the stadium. I asked, "Did you see the game?" He said, "Sort of. I was a camerman for ABC-TV. Was in the opposite endzone to the Mike Jones tackle." He said, "I didn't think there'd be any shirts out yet like that." Felt special. |
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