AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > January > 20 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFear part of Super Bowl preparation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Nobody understands this Super Bowl drill better than Steve Wallace, the former standout offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers via Auburn University and Atlanta’s Chamblee High School. He spent part of his 10th year in retirement from the NFL on Sunday at a local sports bar, where he studied both games that produced this season’s Final Two.
That Super Bowl drill, by the way, involves a number of steps, according to Wallace, owner of three Super Bowl rings after nearly a decade with the magic names of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and the rest.
Step One: Reality.
No question, a slew of Patriots have a wonderful sense of their past, present and future at 18-0. They just reached a fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons after surviving the San Diego Chargers and themselves on a frigid afternoon in New England.
Then came a night game in Green Bay that made Foxborough seem balmy. The New York Giants ignored the below-zero temperatures and ridiculously frigid winds to win a classic in overtime against the sainted Brett Favre and his Packers.
So, given the postgame smiles and hugs for those associated with both teams, your eyes would say the giddy Giants joined the veteran Patriots on Sunday in already understanding what they just accomplished. Not only that, it’s sort of been all over the news lately that these teams that faced each other just 23 days ago will meet in Glendale, Ariz., in 13 days for the world championship.
“Yeah, but it won’t hit them until Tuesday,” said Wallace, adding that such was the case for the 49ers before each of his Super Bowl trips after the 1988, 1989 and 1994 seasons. “There are just so many other things going on around you during the first couple of days. Everybody is telling you how sweet it is for you to be in the Super Bowl, but it doesn’t sink in.
“On Tuesday, that’s when team officials start telling you about all of the responsibilities you have. Which is [buying] Super Bowl tickets and taking care of family members. And then you start to realize that you only have about a week to put it together.”
The thing is, soon after you deal with Step One, Step Two is just a “something” away from trying to stiff-arm you.
It’s called fear.
You know it’s significant, because the usually fearless Wallace had to use every bit of his 6-feet-5 and 285 pounds to overcome Step Two before each of his Super Bowl trips. That included the third one, when he was terrified after he rose on the morning of the 49ers’ game against the San Diego Chargers. He flipped on the television in his hotel room to hear an ESPN analyst predict that Wallace would get mauled by his defensive counterpart.
So much for critics. “It inspired me to play the game of my life,” said Wallace, before explaining the reason for his fear prior to those Super Bowls, along with the upcoming fear for the Patriots and the Giants. Added Wallace, “The fear is that you start thinking to yourself, ‘Oh, we’re at the pinnacle, and we don’t want to do anything to blow this thing.’
“I’m pretty sure New England will be going through that by saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got a chance to make history. We have to do everything correctly so we don’t blow this thing.’ “
Which brings us to Step Three: Bashing, not from your opponents, but from your coaches. To hear Wallace tell it, the Patriots’ Bill Belichick and the Giants’ Tom Coughlin, both noted tough guys, will find actual things or phantom things to sling in their players’ faces with anger.
“Somewhere along the way during Super Bowl week, they are going to have to go off on their players and do something to just check them a little bit,” said Wallace, recalling how his teammates once gave former 49ers coach George Seifert one of those actual things to use. They were 18-point favorites in their Super Bowl against San Diego, and 18 players missed curfew a few days before the game.
Added Wallace, “Once [Seifert] went off that Thursday morning, everybody was like, ‘Well, this is the real deal.’ “
The 49ers won by 23.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Terence Moore
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By dawggoneit
January 21, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
How can the Giants play for the Super Bowl when they didn’t win their division? Seems hypocritical to me to give them a chance at the championship while not allowing teams who don’t win their divisions to play for the BCS title game.
By Whatawhiner
January 21, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
Dawgoneit, its called a wild card, you dumb inbred. The only “wild” card involved at UGA is the number of football players arrested. We’re discussing the NFL here, so take your UGA whining somewhere else.
By True Colors
January 21, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
However off topic, good first comment.
Moore Strikes again!!! This time he goes and finds a retired football player drinking at a bar, trying to live in his past riding the coat tails of Steve Walsh, Joe Montana and Steve Young. Moore’s main point of course, he was a good O-lineman, he was in superbowls and oh yeah….. He’s Black! Shut-Up, what a waste of space in the AJC. You think this is a quality story?????
By Craig
January 21, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
Sorry dawggoneit, but you’ve got this all twisted. You’re comparing apples to axe-handles. They’re not the same. Or to put it another way, the NCAA bowl system and the NFL are different animals. And besides, the Dawgs do have ‘08 to get it together and play for a BCS title … that is, if they really are good enough when it really counts. So, go in peace my brother!
By dawgoneit
January 21, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
To Whatawhiner and all the other stupid people that can’t get a joke!
It’s called being sarcastic. I was just pointing out the hypocracy in the whole system. If you are going to use the whole “not winning a division argument” for one thing then you shouldn’t be able to overlook it in other areas. And to Whatawhiner, when you name call it just shows how “inbred and dumb” you are!
By jc
January 21, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
the wildcard is only for making money cause it really is stupid for a team who did not win there division to be out there to possibly win the super bowl….sorta reminds me of our welfare system. there are one’s out there working their butts off and proves themselves just to have a sorry one get all the benefits
By Jason
January 21, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
So what if the Giants didn’t win their division and are playing in the Super Bowl. They won the playoff games…the games that matter. No one is comparing them to UGA, so put that crap to bed. If college football had a playoff like they ought to, then you’d probably see a lot of teams who didn’t win their divisions advancing farther than they should. UGA would’ve been able to prove how good they were to everyone by winning the crucial games when they mattered. Who cares? That’s what makes for good sports stories. That’s why they have playoffs, and the big NCAA basketball tournament. You don’t hear people whine when someone who didn’t win their conference or division gets to the Final Four. Quit yer b***’. If the Giants weren’t any good they wouldn’t have even qualified for the Wild-Card.
By Braves20
January 21, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
There are some folks in Pittsburgh who feel it’s okay to not win a division and play in the Super Bowl - even win the darned thing!
And while we’re at it - “Hey Tiki, how are Manning and Coughlin looking now?”
By A Falcons fan walks into a bar. . . .
January 21, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
Terrance Moore played in so many Super Bowls that he knows what it takes. Nice.
By Howard
January 21, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
Terence…contrary to what most of these previous bloggers have said, it was another good column…damn, what are you trying to do to me? That’s three in a row I have liked. You usually tick me off so badly by about the third line that I quit reading…anyway…this could be a great game coming up in Tempe. I feel the Patriots didn’t really relish playing the Giants again. They barely won in game #17 and only by several questionable ref calls…and both teams were playing a meaningful game in that one too! I feel this Super Bowl will be a replay of the Pats-Panthers classic a few years ago. Oh, and guess my nominees for the Pats’ MVPs? Not Brady or Moss or Bellicheat…but Wes Welker. Take away that scrawny little white boy reject from the Dolphins and I bet you the Pats would have 2-3 losses on their resume and maybe not be here. I don’t know what he does or the plays called get him so wide open…but man…it’s like no-one on the field even knows he’s on the field. I know Moss and Stallworth are phenomenal and draw a crowd…but pray tell….how in the hell does Welker always wind up that wide open???
By dandawg
January 21, 2008 6:39 PM | Link to this
I think the point that dawggoneit is trying to make is that in the playoff’s teams like the Giants, Chargers( and Steelers in 2005)can get off to a rough start and turn it around in time to make a big impact in the playoff’s. There is no denying that momentum is a HUGE factor in football. Yeah college football is a different animal, but it’s different b/c it CHOOSE’S to be non-sensical. Nobody in college football “won the games when they counted” this season except for Hawaii( and we all saw what happened to them). That’s why college football is lousy. Teams are given BCS bowl bids without earning them. Do I think UGA is the most talented team in the nation. NO. But I don’t think the Giants are the most talented team either, they just played great when it mattered.
By Charles
January 21, 2008 7:20 PM | Link to this
The NFL wildcard system, like MLB, is to increase fan interest in cities that didn’t have a division winner. It seems to work quite well. A word about the Giants: they have now won TEN straight games on the road including beating the two top seeds in the NFC - Cowboys and Packers. They lost to the Pats (at NE) by only three points in late December. Liek the Dawgs, the Giants are the hottest team in football and don’t be fooled by that over the top 13 1/2 point spread favoring the Pats. Eli and the defense just might put a stop to all this Patriotmania.
By joebrave
January 21, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this
Shut up Terrence Moron!!!!
By Kris G
January 21, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
Hey, True Colors. I hate this guy too. I noticed he wrote an article that didn’t involve trashing some local team or fanbase.
Then I read your comment… wait. You’re claiming this is all a ruse to bring attention to the fact that an offensive lineman was black? Really? You mean, since there is such a scarcity of black players in the NFL?
Dude, that may be a world record reach to throw race into an issue.