The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: Super Bowl 51 Edition
On Super Bowl Sunday, a lot of history was made and a lot of people are talking about it. Tom Brady solidified himself as possibly the greatest Quarterback of all time. He has won 5 Super Bowls, a 4 time Super Bowl MVP and had the most passing yards in the history of the Super Bowl with 466 yards. This adds to his resume of being a time MVP and two time Offensive player of the year. Bill Belichick is also in the history books as quite possibly the greatest NFL coach of all time. It doesn’t matter who Belichick coaches and what type of player they are. He can make a nobody into a superstar. Before this year most people did not know much about Chris Hogan, James White, and so many others in the past. Look at the year Brady went down with an injury. In 2008, Matt Cassel filled in for Brady and took the Patriots to an 11-5 record. After Cassel left New England he never played as well in Kansas City, Minnesota, or Dallas. It’s the Bill Belichick system that makes these players so great and which led this years Patriots team due the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. This was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history which as many fans calling it the greatest Super Bowl game in the history of the NFL. There are others though who aren’t so convinced or enthused by the result of Super Bowl 51.
Each year I hear more and more that the NFL is rigged and I hear plenty of conspiracies about how sports are ran. This year really had me wondering. How does a dominant Falcons team blow a 25 point lead in the fourth quarter? Did they forget how to play football for the last 15 minutes? What people don’t understand the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and every other sports organization is just like any other business. They have to do what makes them the most money. Many people thought the Patriots were the favored to win the game. Well the Falcons got a 25 point lead making viewers very shocked including myself. By the fourth quarter it seemed the game was over and people I talked to said they shut the TV off. They turned if off because they thought the game was over. Throughout the fourth quarter the Patriots became the unfamiliar underdog and forced the game into overtime. How can you script that any better? The Patriots sent the game into overtime and won the very first overtime game in Super Bowl history. They had scored 31 unanswered points to win the game. It’s funny that the numbers 3 and 1 stand out because of what’s gone on the last year in sports. In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 series lead which resulted in the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship. In the 2016 MLB World Series, the Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 series lead which resulted in the Cubs won the World Series. Maybe the NBA and MLB found a formula to draw ratings, and the NFL decided to follow the trend. I don’t know if sports are rigged or not but a lot of people think otherwise. Sports are entertainment but they are also in the business of making money. I’ve seen a lot of situations where the conspiracy theorists might be on to something. Super Bowl 51 will go down as the most history making Super Bowl of all time capping off a crazy 2016 NFL season.
My bold prediction for the 2017 season is that the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys will be in Super Bowl 52. Both teams have a lot of great young players which put both teams in a position to win for a long time. Until then there a lot of things to look forward. In three weeks time the Daytona 500 returns. The landscape of NASCAR has complete changed and the sport had a complete overhaul in the offseason. Major League Baseball is starting up soon as well and last season ended in incredible fashion. The Cubs ended a 108 year drought of not winning a title. They built a young team that will be great for the foreseeable future, My early prediction for this season is that the World Series will be the Cubs returning to take on the Boston Red Sox. Lastly, we have WWE’s version of the Super Bowl in April. Wrestlemania 33 will be taking place in a legendary football stadium in Orlando. The Citrus Bowl will play host to it’s second Wrestlemania. The last time they hosted was in 2008 where the legendary career of Ric Flair came to an end. Whose career will be defined and whose will come to an end? Before you know it these events will have come and then the debut of the NFL Spring League will be here. For the first time ever the NFL will be hosting a spring league featuring notable NFL free agents. There will be names like Vince Young, Johnny Manziel, Ray Rice and others. Maybe one of these free agents will be playing in Super Bowl 52. Until then, remember controversy doesn’t come without criticism.
WWE honors every team or athlete who wins a major championship.
It’s a gesture representing the greatness of sports and the athletes involved!
