by M. Frederick Voorhees

Created on: February 11, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Everyone was determined to make Super Bowl XLI "The Peyton Manning Show." It didn't matter that he threw an interception and failed to amass significant passing numbers. Nobody cared when the Colts' defense forced five turnovers. People barely noticed that Joseph Addai caught ten passes or that Domenique Rhodes rushed for 113 yards. Even Tony Dungy becoming the first Afican American coach to win a Super Bowl was subordinated to the "Big Story": Manning finally "getting the monkey off his back."

Unfortunately, the media's infatuation with Peyton Manning reinforces the myth that sports are about the Individual, and not about the Team. Manning has always been a selfish player. Consider his 2005 obsession with breaking Dan Marino's single-seaons TD pass record. He made it abundantly clear that season that, as far as he was concerned, everyone in his organization existed for the sole purpose of helping him surpass "Dan the Man." His coaches supported this attitude by passing in goal-line situations, when the more rational move would have been to hand the ball to Edgerrin James. That year, Peyton's selfishness cost Indianapolis a shot at the Super Bowl.

Finally, in the 2007 playoffs, Peyton Manning learned how to be somewhat of a team player, and, as a result, his teammates came through for him. The Colts' defense forced five turnovers! Both of Indy's running backs had subperb games-Rhodes rushed for over 100 yards for the first time since 2001 and Addai caught TEN passes. It is shameful that whoever selects the Super Bowl MVP lacked the courage to acknowledge team play.

Learn more about this author, M. Frederick Voorhees.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.