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 The
day was Super Bowl Sunday. This day nine million fans were focused on
the game. The day was what everyone was hoping for. It was a great success
bringing people together. Two champion teams were playing for the ultimate
dream. I saw three things on this day: unity, teamwork, and the will to
win.People came together to watch the game, but were also united by the patriotic theme of the day. The theme that touched me the most was the topic: “United We Stand One Nation Under God.” I saw this idea in the faces of the firemen and policemen, and also in the people carrying the tattered flag. The music played by the Boston Pops was an expression of what I believe in. The opening set the tone for the game to come. The St. Louis Rams versus the New England Patriots, champions of their respective divisions. Here’s the inside scoop of their season and why they were champions. The Rams’ offense, led by Kurt Warner, runs like a machine. Kurt’s passing ratio was the highest in both leagues, I believe, around 95% accuracy. The Rams’ offense scored 35 points in an average game. That’s impressive! Their defense toward the middle of the season peaked, improving each week, maturing as a unit. The St. Louis Rams seemed primed for a Super Bowl victory. The New England Patriots were the winners of their division. People wondered: Who are they? What are they doing in the Super Bowl? They showed us Team Spirit, Team Effort and a Will to Win! This Team never gave up on themselves. They were a bunch of guys playing their hearts out every week, and making things happen when the chips were down. The team has no single star: everyone was a star. I feel this is the way a football team should think and play. The New England Patriots were 14 point underdogs in the Super Bowl going in, but they didn’t care. Now that I have talked about the teams, let’s talk about the game. Pressure by New England’s defense caused the Rams to make mistakes offensively. New England capitalized on the Rams’ mistakes. New England did not let the Rams spook them with their high potent offense. They baffled them by playing 5 or 6 defensive backs and pressuring the quarterback. They played smart defense. The game was very close and played very well by both teams. It was a game in which people were on the edge of their seats in amazement of how close the game was. To me, that’s what a Super Bowl is all about. With seconds left in the game, people were still unsure of the outcome. That is what fans like to see. With the game on the line, a cool calm team led by their offense made their way down the field, close enough to try a field goal to win a Super Bowl. With seconds left the kicker came in the game and kicked the winning field goal that made the New England Patriots Super Bowl Champs.Wow! The Super Bowl was going to be a blowout (people said). New England had no chance of winning (people said). What I believe and I hope you believe after watching the Super Bowl is: on any given day, any given team can beat the odds and win. It’s all in the team’s willingness and heart to play as a team – a team that can win and believe. |
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by Amy Sancetta/AP
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