Tag Archives: super bowl

Sports and Music

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by jimberrysports

Whitney Houston’s tragic passing took me back to the Super Bowl at Tampa, Florida in 1991. I remember because I was there. It was the first Super Bowl where security was amped up to a high level because the US was in the Gulf war.

Everyone was feeling patriotic when Whitney stepped up and sang her resounding Star Spangled Banner.  Actually, she didn’t just sing it. She BELTED it out. It stuck with you.  The dramatic game between the Bills and Giants was decided on a missed field goal by Buffalo’s Scott Norwood. Still, afterwards, players on both teams were talking about Whitney. Her version was SO good, it actually became a hit recording.

It was one of those moments that reminds you of how sports and music always dance together. I tune out the endless hip hop at NBA games. But I remember real singers bringing their “A” game at major sporting events.

Marvin Gaye at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles in 1983 was another such moment. Marvin sang the anthem as only he could, with unmistakeable soul.  Its the only time I ever recall an audience clapping in unision during the anthem. We were at a basketball game, but Marvin took us to church.

Prince singing “Purple Rain” IN the rain at the 2007 Super Bowl. You couldn’t have scripted that any better.  Great theatre. It took our minds off of the fact that this was the soggiest Super Bowl in history.

Whitney’s gone, but my memory of how she blended sports and music will stick with me. As athletes often say about each other…she had game.

The book of Eli

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When I first met Eli Manning, it was the week before his brother Peyton played the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl five years ago.  While everyone  was casual chic on South Beach, Eli walked around in a suit and tie. Yes, he looked dorky, but he was being himself.

Now that he has surpassed Peyton with two Super Bowl rings, Eli still comes across kinda dorky…but he’s still himself.  At the team’s big victory parade in Manhattan,  Eli’s Giant teammates hammed it up.  Eli still politely talked about a “team win.”   He’s no motivational speaker. He’s just himself.

In this era of athletes who are quick to promote themselves WITHOUT winning anything, Eli is a refreshing throwback. He’s the guy who won’t brag even when he can. It’s just not his nature.

What a contrast he is to the head coach of that other New York team. The Jets Rex Ryan talks big. Eli just PLAYS big.  Now that he has whipped the glam Tom Brady and gruffy Bill Belechik twice, Eli can walk on water in New York.

However, he’s no Tim Tebow, being interviewed again in a prime time special. He’s just Eli. Nondescript….but quite effective on the field, especially in crunch time.   The New York pressure cooker has not changed him. He has drowned out the noise, and stayed true to himself.

Maybe somewhere Eli does have a personality. I remember people thinking his big brother Peyton Manning was also kind of bland, until we started to see his wacky sense of humor.

With Eli..what you see might be what you get.  He may never be a GQ magazine cover boy. That’s OK.  There’s nothing wrong with just being a solid quarterback who lets his play do all of the talking.