Toolsview all


Super Bowl could come down to a swing of the leg

 
By Berry Tramel | Published: February 3, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Lawrence Tynes made the Letterman Show 11 days ago. You know why he was there. The 47-yard overtime field goal that beat the Packers in the NFC title game.

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

thumbnail

More Info


Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes got New York into the Super Bowl with his game-winning kick in overtime at Green Bay. Associated press


Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski has made 82 percent of his career field-goal attempts. Associated press

By the numbers
Super Bowl kickers Lawrence Tynes vs. Stephen Gostkowski:

Tynes Gostkowski
Age 29 24
College Troy Memphis
Years pro 4 2
2007 pct. 85.2 .875
Career pct. 79.8 .820
Career long 53 52
50+-yard 6-11 1-1
40+-yard 22-32 5-9

Foot joy
Super Bowls decided by a last-seconds field-goal attempt:

Super Bowl 38

Patriots 32, Panthers 29: Adam Vinatieri's 41-yarder with four seconds left made the Patriot a two-time hero.

Super Bowl 36

Patriots 20, Rams 17: Vinatieri's 48-yarder in the New Orleans Superdome gave New England a big upset and launched the Belichick dynasty.

Super Bowl 25

Giants 20, Bills 19: Scott Norwood's 47-yard try sailed wide right on the final play of the game, sending Buffalo to the first of its four straight Super Bowl defeats.

Super Bowl 5

Colts 16, Cowboys 13: Jim O'Brien's 32-yarder with five seconds left gave Johnny Unitas his final NFL championship.

NewsOK Related Articles

But here's the kicker. Tynes surely would have been invited by David Letterman even with a miss that frozen night on Lambeau Field, and the New York Giants had not made the Super Bowl.

Two years ago in the playoffs, Mike Vanderjagt shanked a 46-yard field-goal try that would have sent his Indianapolis Colts into overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vanderjagt became a Colt pariah but landed a guest spot on Letterman.

That's what happens so often in football and occasionally in Super Bowls, maybe even tonight, when the Giants and Patriots decide NFL supremacy in this Phoenix suburb.

After barbarians and behemoths plunder and pillage for 59 minutes and someodd seconds, cracking skulls and breaking bones, a little guy better suited for soccer trots onto the field and steps into a spotlight, like a soloist on the Broadway stage, and decides the game.

Goat or hero. No in between.

It's pressure unlike anything else in sports. Not the batter's box with two out in the ninth. Not the foul line in the final seconds. Not the 18th green with a putt for par.

The baseball player and basketball player are asked to do a myriad other things in a ballgame. The golfer has no teammates.

Not so the kicker, who has only one job, make the kick, and the hopes of all those linebackers and tight ends ride on the foot of he who wouldn't last one play in the middle of a scrum.

"There's no doubt, kickers feel that pressure,” said Patriots special-teams coach Brad Seely, who tutored two-time Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri. "A lot of people counting on 'em. Players, family, thousands of fans. But that's what they do. That's what they deal with.”

Kickers deal with it well, else they would never make it this far. Would never be placed on this stage.

Tynes being the perfect example.

Page 1 of 2

Toolsview all



Related Topics: Sports, Football, Super Bowl, Professional Football



Leave a Comment

Thank you for joining our conversation on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy. Please help by flagging comments that violate these guidelines. Posts that contain obscene or vulgar language will be immediately flagged and not posted.

If you prefer your thoughts to appear in The Oklahoman, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor.

Would you like to leave a comment?

Log in or sign up (it's free).

comments powered by Disqus

Ads by Yahoo!

53yr Old Woman, Looks 25
53yr Old Mom publishes 1 simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors.
www.ConsumerLifestyleMag.com
President Lowers Mortgage
If you owe under $729k you probably qualify for the Govt Refi Program.
www.MortgageRatesExperts.com

Sports Photo Galleriesview all