Pop Warner (Or He'll Beat Us) -- History of the Superbowl Part 39

2008

It was January, 2003.

The National Championship game for college football, the Fiesta Bowl, Miami vs. Ohio State.

Miami has a running back named Willis McGahee who goes down with a knee injury because of the Buckeyes.

It's a famous injury, for Ohio State suddenly has a chance in this contest.

They win while McGahee is sitting on the sidelines going through hell.

HELL.

He had been deemed a lock for the top five in the draft. Now this?

Yet there's one team out there that knows a good thing when they see it -- the Buffalo Bills.

To understand Willis McGahee, is to understand one of the best lullabies momma ever told us before going off to find us a new daddy -- RoboCop (1987)

There comes a point when RoboCop figures out that Dick Jones is behind all the madness he's been encountering.

It happens after years and years of Clarence Boddicker, aka the NFL, being thrown through glass panes.

The Buffalo Bills didn't trust the draft experts anymore. It was going straight to the U.

The Hurricanes recruited him? That means he can be an NFL Pro Bowler.

The result -- it doesn't matter how many times Dick Jones sends Lieutenant Hitchcock and SWAT after him...for RoboMcGahee is clearly getting back up and dominating anyway, with injuries that would kill a normal running back.

Willis McGahee would be picked 22 by Buffalo in 2003 and in 2004...have 1,100 rushing yards.

Of his five seasons in Buffalo? I just spoke of his THIRD BEST.

He has 1,200 yards twice.

Then he goes to the Baltimore Ravens, and for this 2008 season, he will join a brand new rookie quarterback --

Joe Flacco.

Flacco and McGahee should have been the featured story of the season, for Flacco will become the first rookie quarterback to take a wildcard team to the AFC Championship game with McGahee having an even BETTER SEASON then he did in Buffalo.

But in Arizona, there was a story that could top even that--

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Kurt Warner was a star at Northern Iowa.

Kurt Warner would not be drafted by any team, but he was invited to camp with the Green Bay Packers.

At the time, there was Favre, Brunnell, and Ty Detmer at quarterback, and Steve Mariucci was the quarterbacks coach.

Mariucci would make the smartest decision he's ever made by deciding that Kurt Warner wasn't ready yet. Why is it smart? It's not. Just for Mariucci.

And so Warner would go and bag groceries for 5.50 an hour.

Then he went to play in the USFL or World League or whatever that shit is.

He joined the Rams and was incredible.

But then around week 4 in 2002, he is cut.

Warner had made the mistake of telling the press that he played with a broken thumb on most days, and when he started messing up in a streak...they didn't blame Warner, they blamed whatever dumbass kept him playing.

The Rams fall to 1-6.

And so Martz puts in Mark Bulger.

And son of a bitch does Bulger have them suddenly 6-6.

The rest is history.

Warner went to the Giants but was used minimally.

Then he went to the Cardinals...

Dennis Green had originally drafted a man who had won 2 straight national titles before losing the 3rd one to Vince Young and Texas...

Matt Leinart.

Leinart messed up big time in the Chicago game on Monday Night Football.

From that point on, Kurt Warner comes back in and is FREAKING INVINCIBLE.

He puts up over 5,300 yards with 28 touchdowns.

Washington Huskies standout Larry Fitzgerald had about 30 percent of those yards and touchdowns.

Then in 2008, in his full season as a starter, they march right through the playoffs, smacking the Eagles in the NFC Championship game at home.

Cardinals are in the freaking Superbowl.

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Their opponents would be the Steelers who were doing it with a coach, Mike Tomlin, who is not even 35 years old.

The Cardinals almost win the game because Warner throws a long St. Louis Rams type bomb to Fitzgerald to put them up by 4 with two minutes left.

But Rothleisburger launches a drive...

He gets them down there...

Santonio Holmes DROPS A TOUCHDOWN PASS.

But on the very next play...Santonio makes the best touchdown catch in NFL history.

Tippy-toes, fully extended, corner of the endzone.

The Steelers win their 2nd Superbowl.

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