Takes a lot to be a good pro
(Columnist鈥檚 note: A warning to my niece Stephanie. 鈥� I am about to go 鈥渙ld鈥� in this column so you might want to start lining up your eyerolls now.)
鈥淪how me a good loser and I鈥檒l show you a loser.鈥�
No, not a quote I read on a fortune after a Chinese take-out meal.聽
Just Cam Newton digging the hole just a bit deeper during an interview Tuesday.
This from a Super Bowl starting quarterback, a select group, indeed. This from a MAN who moped in front of a group of adults with cameras and recording devices, looking as though he just finished playing a game of basketball at the Rec center.
This from a man who has amassed a career record of 30-32-1 in his first four years in the league, being mindful the Panthers amassed a 15-2 mark this season.
How about other quarterbacks who have started in the big game? Well, I鈥檝e saved you the time of an internet search.
Joe Montana, 4-0 in the big game, had a record of 18-15 and a Super Bowl title in his first four seasons.
Ben Roethlisberger went 39-16 with a Super Bowl title (more on that in a bit) and a 13-0 start to his career. Terry Bradshaw was also 4-0 in the Super Bowl, opening his first four years as a part-time starter with a 27-17 record. (The NFL didn鈥檛 go to the current 16-game schedule until 1978, so Bradshaw and his peers played fewer games). Bradshaw didn鈥檛 record his first Super Bowl ring until his fifth season, adding another in his sixth year.
Troy Aikman won the first of his three Super Bowl rings in his fourth season, amassing a starting record of 27-27 in his first four years. Tom Brady, 4-2 in the Super Bowl, had a 34-12 record in his first four years, but only the final three were as a starter. But, he won a Super Bowl in that fourth year, adding a second in his fifth season after a 14-2 regular season.
Plus, the Manning brothers. Peyton was 32-32 in his first four seasons with the Colts, while Eli went 30-25 with a Super Bowl victory in his fourth season.
So, there鈥檚 that.
Okay, ready the eyeroll the niece 鈥�
My unsolicited advice to Superman 鈥� Suck it up, buttercup!
Even Superman has crawled on his hands and knees in the face of his kryptonite, which, by the way, ironically happens to be Kryptonite, to foil the bad guy, likely Lex Luthor.
Cam Newton wasn鈥檛 willing to crawl on his hands and knees to give his offense a fighting chance in the waning moments of the Super Bowl. I don鈥檛 care about how the play looked from my angle or your angle or the 鈥渆ye in the sky鈥� angle, but you, with help from Denver鈥檚 stifling defense, lost the ball and it should be incumbent upon you to get the ball back.
I bet Steeler fans in the crowd are happy Ben Roethlisberger didn鈥檛 allow the 鈥渁ngle鈥� to deter him from chasing down Nick Harper a decade ago.
Let me take you back (Wayne鈥檚 World fade out 鈥�).
Joey Porter and his mates stymied Peyton Manning late in the game, turning the ball over to the offense with 1:20 left. The play call is probably still debated by aficionados of the game, but Bill Cowher鈥檚 logic made sense, even if the ultimate result didn鈥檛. Hand the ball to your sure-handed, sure-fire Hall of Fame bruising running back Jerome Bettis, hit the extra point and voila, Steelers salt the game away, 28-18, with just over 60 seconds to go.
But, Gary Brackett鈥檚 helmet met the ball as Bettis spun, knocking the ball free. Colts cornerback Nick Harper scoops up the ball and away he sprints.
But, remember, a domestic dispute led to a gash on Harper鈥檚 leg above the knee, so he wasn鈥檛 fleet afoot.
Ben was a lot younger and had a lot more bounce in his step as a second-year pro, but he wasn鈥檛 the fleetest member of the offense. To his credit, Ben pursued the play, and when Harper zigged, the Steelers quarterback stumbled and swiped at Harper鈥檚 leg, catching his knee to save the game for the moment.
Roethlisberger said of his unlikely tackle, 鈥淚 remember thinking to myself, that can鈥檛 be Jerome鈥檚 last play 鈥� this can鈥檛 be the lasting memory of him. My next thought was to find a way to get this guy on the ground.鈥�
The Steeler defense held, forcing a very makeable 46-yard field goal attempt by Mike Vanderjagt to tie the game at 21 and likely force overtime. Vanderjagt鈥檚 kick was so far right it almost missed the ball-catching screen behind the goal post. Ben falls on the ball a couple times and the Steelers, not the Colts, are off to Denver. Pittsburgh went to Denver for the AFC title game, a 34-17 win.
That Super Bowl victory became the fifth for the Steelers after they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
Ah, good memories, huh? The first Super Bowl champion to win three road games on its way to the title as the No. 6 seed.
All because Ben Roethlisberger didn鈥檛 quit on a play, not concerned about the 鈥渁ngle鈥� he had.
I understand not wanting to lose. I despise losing, but I also understand the proper way to react to a loss, especially a difficult defeat. But, I鈥檝e dealt with teenagers who鈥檝e shown more fortitude in that tough spot than this professional. So, my apologies to Stephanie again, but to repeat, just suck it up, buttercup, and get ready for 2016.