TERRY MOSHER

TOP OF THE TOWN ‑ Well, I got that right. I figured Tampa Bay would win, and I don’t think it took a genius to know why. Tampa Bay started to get better in the second half of their loss to Kansas City in the regular NFL season and went on to win seven straight entering Super Bowl LV. Kansas City, on the other hand, was not playing well in that span. Yes, the Chiefs won all but one game in that span, a game in which the regulars were rested, but they were erratic. Tampa’s defense had gotten better and Tom Brady was, well, he was Tom Brady. Kansas City also was playing without its injured starting tackle Eric Fisher, forcing a major shuffle along the offensive line. The protection for Patrick Mahomes broke down as a result. Mahomes was hit 29 times, a Super Bowl record, and spent the majority of the time running for his life. Brady, on the other hand, was hit just four times. The Bucs were incensed that they were underdogs and came out with a chip on their shoulders. They figured, and rightly so, that the Chiefs were not as physical as they were. In fact, some of them after the game talked about that, adding Kansas City was all about using a tricky offense that they poo-pooed. They said that they were, in contrast, a physical group that would take the fight to the Chiefs, run right at them and beat them up. Feat accomplished. The Chiefs never had a chance. The Bucs played a cover-two zone that took away the big plays that Mahomes was good at, double teamed speedy Tyreek Hill and that clinched it for Tampa. It was as good a defensive domination by Tampa as seen in 55 Super Bowls. Well, the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII at Met Life Stadium may have been the best. The Hawks crushed Payton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8 and did the beating so quickly and so often it may have been one of the most boring Super Bowls. This Super Bowl win by Brady, his seventh in 10 tries, likely puts him over the top as the best quarterback of all-time. You can’t compare athletes from one era to another, but historians will look back on Brady and rightly so make him one of the best if not the best. He has the incredible ability to bring a team together. That takes leadership, good leadership. He also is extremely competitive. Everybody who plays a game is competitive. Then there are the guys who are really, really competitive. I have a brother, Ronnie, who is like that. He will compete at anything at the drop of a pin. And he will almost always win. I have never beaten him in anything, and I’m extremely competitive. So there is competitive, and then there is COMPETITIVE. Brady is in my brother’s neighborhood when it comes to competing. I can see Brady playing football one or two or more years. He will be 44 in August. George Blanda was the oldest to ever play in the NFL. A quarterback starting out, an injury forced him out of that position and he wound up being a placekicker. He holds the league record for most points after attempted (959) and made (943). Blanda, who played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, retired at 48. Okay, that’s enough for today.

Be well pal.

Be careful out there.

Have a great day.

You are loved.