No, it wasn’t the best Super Bowl game ever played. My vote for the best-ever Super Bowl goes to the January 2000 match-up between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans, which went right down to the wire. If you remember, Tennessee’s dramatic final drive down the field culminated with Steve McNair’s last-second completed pass which—unfortunately for Titans fans—came up literally just a foot shy of the goal line. What an incredible finish!
This year’s game had none of that high drama on the field. There was plenty of pre-game drama, however, with speculation about whether the great Peyton Manning could finally win the big one (He did!) and whether the erratic Rex Grossman would be up to the task (He wasn’t). There also was a good deal of attention given to Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, the first African-American head coaches to lead teams to the Super Bowl in the championship game’s 41-year history. Adding to the drama, the two coaches also happened to be good friends and former colleagues. (Smith had been an assistant coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay some years ago.) When it was all said and done, however, Dungy’s Indianapolis Colts won the big game, defeating Smith’s Chicago Bears, 29-17, in a contest much more lopsided than the final score indicated.
But, in my mind, there was a much larger victory that transcended the actual game on the gridiron. And the real winner was not a particular football team, but the cause of Christ.
Colts head coach Tony Dungy said it best when, on national television, he received the coveted Lombardi Trophy on behalf of his victorious team:
“I'm proud to be the first African-American coach to win this...But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that.”
You see, Dungy and Smith share a lot more than friendship, coaching football and making Super Bowl history together. Both are men of authentic Christian faith and character who consistently and unashamedly live out their beliefs every day…at home, in the locker room, and on the playing field.
I’ve admired Tony Dungy for years, ever since he became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 1996. Dungy built the perennial doormat Bucs into a viable contender and one of the greatest defensive teams in football history, before being unceremoniously and ungratefully fired by Tampa management in 2001, simply because he hadn’t produced a champion fast enough. Ironically, the team he built won the Super Bowl the following season under first-year coach Jon Gruden. They’ve never been back since.
This year’s game had none of that high drama on the field. There was plenty of pre-game drama, however, with speculation about whether the great Peyton Manning could finally win the big one (He did!) and whether the erratic Rex Grossman would be up to the task (He wasn’t). There also was a good deal of attention given to Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, the first African-American head coaches to lead teams to the Super Bowl in the championship game’s 41-year history. Adding to the drama, the two coaches also happened to be good friends and former colleagues. (Smith had been an assistant coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay some years ago.) When it was all said and done, however, Dungy’s Indianapolis Colts won the big game, defeating Smith’s Chicago Bears, 29-17, in a contest much more lopsided than the final score indicated.
But, in my mind, there was a much larger victory that transcended the actual game on the gridiron. And the real winner was not a particular football team, but the cause of Christ.
Colts head coach Tony Dungy said it best when, on national television, he received the coveted Lombardi Trophy on behalf of his victorious team:
“I'm proud to be the first African-American coach to win this...But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that.”
You see, Dungy and Smith share a lot more than friendship, coaching football and making Super Bowl history together. Both are men of authentic Christian faith and character who consistently and unashamedly live out their beliefs every day…at home, in the locker room, and on the playing field.
I’ve admired Tony Dungy for years, ever since he became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 1996. Dungy built the perennial doormat Bucs into a viable contender and one of the greatest defensive teams in football history, before being unceremoniously and ungratefully fired by Tampa management in 2001, simply because he hadn’t produced a champion fast enough. Ironically, the team he built won the Super Bowl the following season under first-year coach Jon Gruden. They’ve never been back since.
During Dungy’s stint at Tampa Bay, he was adored by the Christian community. He graciously made himself accessible to Christian radio stations like Moody Broadcasting’s WKES in St. Petersburg, which began covering the Bucs because of Dungy’s faith. The busy coach would regularly grant the station telephone interviews the Monday morning following each game. I admired him for taking the time to do this.
Christians across the Bay area and throughout Central Florida would cheer for the Bucs and pray for Dungy because of his high profile Christian witness, and the unique platform God had given him to touch so many lives. I never had the opportunity to meet Tony Dungy, but my wife Sandy used to talk to him on the phone when he first came to Tampa Bay. At the time, she was the administrative assistant to the Florida statewide director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Like many other believers in Florida, Sandy & I were saddened when the Bucs dumped Dungy, but were delighted when he wound up in Indianapolis with Peyton Manning. We knew then that a Super Bowl championship would only be a matter of time.
Life has not all been a bed of roses for Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren. Fourteen months ago, their world was rocked by the shocking suicide of their 18-year-old son James. Since then, the Dungys have been greatly comforted by their faith in God, which has enabled them to weather this extremely painful storm. The grace and faith they have exhibited during this difficult season of their lives has been a powerful testimony to the sports world as well as the world in general.
When Dungy’s Colts won it all on Sunday, a television sports anchor said, “I know it’s an overused cliché, but truly, truly, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.” That speaks of the universal admiration this godly man has garnered from fellow believers and unbelievers alike. Former baseball great Leo Durocher was once quoted as saying, “Nice guys finish last.” Honestly, it’s really refreshing to see a nice guy finish first for a change.
Tony Dungy’s personal faith in Jesus, which he daily lives out in his role as an NFL football coach, reminds me of the need to live out my own faith 24/7. I hope his example challenges and encourages you as well. Just think, if all Christians were like Tony Dungy--consistently living out in the workplace what they claim to believe--that really would be something super!
Life has not all been a bed of roses for Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren. Fourteen months ago, their world was rocked by the shocking suicide of their 18-year-old son James. Since then, the Dungys have been greatly comforted by their faith in God, which has enabled them to weather this extremely painful storm. The grace and faith they have exhibited during this difficult season of their lives has been a powerful testimony to the sports world as well as the world in general.
When Dungy’s Colts won it all on Sunday, a television sports anchor said, “I know it’s an overused cliché, but truly, truly, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.” That speaks of the universal admiration this godly man has garnered from fellow believers and unbelievers alike. Former baseball great Leo Durocher was once quoted as saying, “Nice guys finish last.” Honestly, it’s really refreshing to see a nice guy finish first for a change.
Tony Dungy’s personal faith in Jesus, which he daily lives out in his role as an NFL football coach, reminds me of the need to live out my own faith 24/7. I hope his example challenges and encourages you as well. Just think, if all Christians were like Tony Dungy--consistently living out in the workplace what they claim to believe--that really would be something super!
Pastor Danny
