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Monday, January 22
Return to Tampa isn't so tragic
By Joe Theismann
Special to ESPN.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Even though Tampa is home to my Super Bowl defeat 17
years earlier, it's never hard for me to return because I won a Super Bowl
the year before. If I had never won a Super Bowl, returning to Tampa would
probably bring back nothing but bad memories.
I don't know if other people feel the same way, but things live with
me, especially the great events in my life. I've never seen TV footage of
my leg getting broken because I won't watch it. I can recall more of what
happened here during Super Bowl XVIII than I could in Pasadena during Super Bowl XVII when we won the championship.
It is harder to recall the good things that happen in games because you do it without thinking about it. But people can recall the bad shots they hit in a round of golf. In Pasadena, I got kicked in the head and can't remember the first five minutes of the game. I have watched the tape with my dad, but I have no recollection of the game.
But in Tampa, I remember much more. I remember standing on the sidelines as we were going to punt, and then -- bang -- the Raiders blocked the punt
and scored a touchdown, and we were immediately in a 7-0 hole. I remember
trying to throw fades against the Raiders' two cornerbacks, Mike Haynes and
Lester Hayes, and the ball just sailing too far beyond the reach of the receivers. I remember throwing the interception before the half. I remember Raiders
defensive tackle Reggie Kinlaw stopping John Riggins and putting us in
long-yardage situations all day. I remember getting down close to the goal
line and us not being able to block Raiders safety Mike Davis. I remember
walking off the field with my helmet twisted, looking out of an earhole. I
remember Marcus Allen's great touchdown run when I thought our defense
had him tackled in the backfield.
When I get to Tampa, I start thinking about that Super Bowl loss. I'm glad they tore down Tampa Stadium. I like the Raymond James Stadium. Now, if they
could move the game to St. Petersburg, I'd be in great shape.
But no matter what happened to me in Tampa, it's one of the three best Super
Bowl host cities, along with New Orleans and Phoenix. All three cities are
built for outdoor activities, and it's easy to get around them.
Tampa, however, is probably the best of the three. Everything is so centrally located. There is entertainment, beaches, tremendous restaurants and tons of golf courses. The climate is usually conducive to being outdoors. Detroit has a Super Bowl in 2006. Why? You won't be able to do anything outside. I don't like to ice skate or do anything else associated with cold
weather.
Monday's weather was unseasonably cold, especially while I was golfing
in the morning. I have some advice if you are traveling to Tampa from the
Northeast or the Midwest: Bring something warm -- or be prepared to buy
a sweatshirt. Even if the weather gets warmer toward the weekend, the
temperature could still be in the 40s by game time. This is not Miami.
Now that the teams have arrived in Tampa, a huge concern for the teams
will be the night life. Tampa has a lot of strip clubs, and the state of Florida
has instituted a no-touch rule. The clubs are all located near the stadium
and within 10-15 minutes of the team hotels.
The two coaches, Brian Billick and Jim Fassel, have talked to their
players and addressed the situation. However, I can almost guarantee that a
player from one of the teams is going to screw up. I would be surprised if
they don't. I don't believe it will be a starting player. The players have been
chomping at the bit to get to Tampa, and they get all caught up in the Super
Bowl experience.
Young players don't know quite how to act. For example, Giants
receiver/kick returner Ron Dixon, who has had a big impact in the playoffs, needs his parents to call him and wake him up so he gets to meetings on time. He
was a discipline problem for Fassel toward the end of the season. He wasn't
out running around; he would play video games all night because he's a kid.
And that's what kids do.
Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann works as a game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football. He will give his thoughts each day from Tampa in the Super Bowl version of his "Cup o' Joe" feature.
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