#85 - jason elam

i just read that jason elam is going to play for the atlanta falcons. for those who don't know, jason elam is my favorite football player. he played for the UH then-rainbow warriors from 88-92 and helped lead them to a win over illnois in the holiday bowl. although he was "only a kicker" he was a big part of the team and put up many points. he was drafted by the denver broncos in the 3rd round of the draft, which is pretty high for a kicker. he spent 15 seasons there! i thought he was going to retire there but atlanta just signed him, he went to high school in georgia so this move is bringing him home i guess. he single handedly made me a denver broncos fan. i've been a fan since they signed the best kicker EVER. (two super bowls, three pro bowls)

although kickers usually put up a lot of points, they aren't really well known. they are relied on at the end of games to tie up or win a game at the last second with a field goal. i don't have a soft spot for kickers usually but this is one special guy.

my grandpa was in the hospital (dying pretty much) while jason was at UH. his lawyer happened to have a nephew on the football team. my grandpa was a huge rainbows fan and went to all the games, sat in the endzone seats and just loved it. so his lawyer asked him who his favorite player was. he said jason elam!! so one day, jason elam and the lawyer's nephew came into the hospital to visit him. he had this sweet, soft georgia accent and was one of the nicest people. they brought a football and hat signed by the players and was one of the grandest gestures. for a dying man to meet his favorite football player, it's a great memory. i was only 10 or so but i remember to this day the smile on his face. he did not know this fan and had no obligation whatsoever. he was a busy college student with i'm sure lots on his mind but took the time out to visit my grandpa and made his day.

so that's why jason is my favorite football player. i've followed his career with enthusiasm and although he's leaving my team, i'll still root for him. he is a great player and person.

#63 - super bowl

usually i am not too much into the super bowl. this year was no exception. it started ever since i was at a small super bowl party and my friend (host)'s parents to call and say they were getting a divorce. that ended the party pretty quickly. it's never been my thing. i would be all over it if the BRONCOS were playing but that hasn't happened in awhile. i didn't know what to expect for this 42nd super bowl. the undefeated new england patriots and the new york giants. i was at the gym working out and saw it playing on one of the tvs. it was the end of the 3rd quarter, 7-3 patriots. i was curious to see what was going on since it would be cool if the pats had a perfect season. but of course, it was not to be. i didn't know who would win until this play. by this time the pats were up 14-10 with a little over a minute left in the game. eli manning and the giants were on the move but at a 3rd and 5. one of the most incredible plays ever, from that i knew they wanted to win more. and they did.

first of all, eli isn't really a scrambler but he got out of that sure sack. then he just throws it up there and tyree goes up and grabs it, kind of sticks it to his helmet and has to fight the whole way down. he definitely has control of the ball and you can see how he struggles to keep it in his possession and off the ground. simply amazing. so that was the play of the game.

i always thought "why is eli manning so coveted?". if anyone remembers the debacle that was the 2004 nfl draft, where he was drafted first (out of ole miss) by the san diego chargers. he didn't want to go there and basically held out till the ny giants could work out a trade for phillip rivers and 3 other future picks. so of course i thought what a big-headed jock, to refuse to go to a team because they suck. but hey, that's professional sports!