January 22, 2012
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
While many die hard Redskins fans couldn’t bring themselves to root for the Ravens on Sunday, several people in our area did find themselves drawn to bars and couches to root for the nearby “home” team.
The Patriots were favored going into the game; they have won three Super Bowls under Tom Brady and were playing on their home turf where they almost never lose. They’re 9-1 at Gillette Stadium. Despite this, the game was close with the Ravens moving ahead 20-17 in the third quarter. It seemed Baltimore had held the Patriots with a field goal in the fourth quarter which would’ve tied the game, instead of giving them a three point lead. But on fourth down, Brady jumped over the defensive pile for what would be the game winning touchdown.
Trailing 23-20 with under two minutes left to play, Joe Flacco led the Ravens from their own 21 yard line to second and one at the Patriots 14 yard line. Flacco threw to Lee Evans in the end zone; a catch would’ve sent the Ravens to the Super Bowl. While Lee caught it, he was unable to get both feet down before getting the ball stripped from the Patriot’s Sterling Moore. It was a play that will live in infamy, at least in Baltimore, but not as much as the next one.
After scoring their first three times, the Ravens decided to err on the side of caution and kick a field goal which would’ve tied the game and forced overtime. Billy Cundiff came on the field to attempt a 32-yard field goal, a short length considering that some league kickers routinely make 50 yard plus field goals.
Maybe it was the wind, or maybe it was something bigger than that, but he missed. The snap was good, but the kick was wide left. While the stadium erupted with elated Pats fans, Ravens players stared in disbelief, some clasping their hands on their heads or just stunned in silence. Their season was over with one missed kick, one Cundiff admitted afterwards was “a kick I’ve kicked a thousand times in my career…the timing was just a little off.”
The Ravens never got to see what would’ve happened in overtime. Evans’ inability to hold onto the ball and the results of the miss became more pronounced as the Ravens headed off the field and into a bleak off-season wondering what if. Welcome to the land of disappointment Ravens fans; we Redskins fans know how it feels.
The Patriots will face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XVLI. They met in 2008 when the Giants ruined New England’s perfect season by a late fourth quarter touchdown by New York QB Eli Manning. Whether the Giants will be able to repeat — Manning orchestrated another fourth quarter comeback against Brady and the Pats earlier this season — or if Tom Brady will get his fourth ring, it will be decided on Sunday, February 5 in Indianapolis.
Joe Paterno Passes Away at 85
Two months ago, Joe Paterno found himself at the center of a scandal that removed him from his head coaching job at Penn State. For several decades before that, he was known only as the legendary head coach of the Nittany Lions, a post he held for 46 years.
He coached his entire career at Penn State, turning down several NFL offers during his tenure. He was an assistant coach from 1950-1965 before becoming head coach in ’66. Under Paterno, the Lions went undefeated twice — 1968 and ’69 — and won two national championships in 1982 and 1986.
Paterno remains the winningest coach in major college football history (409 victories), and the only NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision coach to reach 400 wins. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
During his time at Penn State, Paterno became an iconic figure in Happy Valley, recognized as much for his black thick rimmed glasses and rolled up pants as his dedication and outspoken love for the school where he literally spent his life.
Ovi to Serve Three-Game Suspension
Alex Ovechkin will sit out three games without pay due to a lurching hit in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovi flung himself in the air and hit Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek in the head, early in the second period. While Ovi maintains that he didn’t intend to hit Michalek in the head, a representative from the NHL’s department of player safety released a statement saying that because he launched himself into the air, he is responsible for any contact to the head. Ovechkin was not penalized on the play, and Michalek suffered no apparent injury from the hit. He did however say afterwards that he thought it was a penalty and should’ve been called.
This is Ovechkin’s first suspension since 2010, and it will overlap with the NHL All Star Weekend scheduled for January 26 – 29. While Ovechkin is still eligible to participate, he may choose not to. No official word yet on what Ovi’s game plans are for the All Star Weekend, but he will be eligible to return to the ice for the Caps on February 4.
