By Brandon Niles
The Super Bowl is always a little bittersweet
for football fans everywhere.
On one hand, it marks the pinnacle
of the season and the most important
game of the year; but on the other
hand it’s the last game of the season.
Football fans erupt in excitement at
the nation’s biggest sporting event,
and then the next day are struck with
the reality that the next meaningful football game won’t be until late
August or early September. Thus,
now begins the debating and speculating
on free agency, the new CBA,
the draft and the chances of each team
improving next year.
This year, the Super Bowl didn’t
disappoint fans hoping for a close,
dramatic game. After falling behind
21-3 in the second quarter, the Pittsburgh
Steelers launched an efficient
scoring drive, ending with an 8-yard
touchdown pass to Hines Ward with
only 1:45 left in the half. Late in the
game, the Steelers rallied to cut the
Green Bay Packers lead to only three
points. The Packers then kicked one
more fi eld goal and played excellent
defense to seal the 31-25 victory and
become Super Bowl champions for
the fourth time in team history.
Also exciting was watching Packers
quarterback Aaron Rodgers turn the
corner from upcoming star to elite
NFL player. Rodgers completed over
60 percent of his passes for over 300
yards, scored three touchdowns and
had no interceptions. He won the
game’s Most Valuable Player award
and proved he belongs among the biggest names in football.
Rodgers has been a very good player
for the past few years, ever since
taking over for Brett Favre upon his
departure from Green Bay after the
2007 season. However, Rodgers has
been considered a very good young
prospect rather
than an elite
quarterback.
This Super Bowl
victory and
well-deserved
MVP award ends the debate about
whether or not Rodgers is “there
yet.” He’s accurate, strong-armed,
and smart, has a quick release, and
has now proven that he can handle
the most pressure packed situations.
What’s even more impressive is that
he’s still only 27 years old!
With Rodgers in the driver seat of a
young Green Bay team, it’s unlikely
the Packers will fall from being a perennial championship contender anytime soon. Most of the star players on
the Packers are still young. There’s no
reason to think the Packers shouldn’t
be Super Bowl favorites again next
year and for the next several years
to follow. So, with another Super
Bowl in the books and another season
at a close, fans have witnessed the
emergence of what could be a new
NFL dynasty: Aaron Rodgers and the
Green Bay Packers.
