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Murphy Martin Commentary
February 8, 2007
"Dungy Leaves Indelible Mark"
Individuals who coach professional sports teams generally come
in all shapes and sizes. Their personalities range from ranting and
raving, cursing, brow-beating demanding egotists to the low-key,
seemingly always in control Mr. Cool, whose job it is to contend
with the antics of maybe the most pampered people on the planet. All
the while coaches must be modest enough to project the belief that
it is the players and not the coaches who are responsible for the
outcomes of the games.
The victorious coach in Super Bowl XLI, Tony Dungy, does not fit any
of the descriptions mentioned above. Dungy does not curse or shout
at players. Never has-never will! In fact there was a time when
Dungy gave serious consideration to giving up coaching to work in
prison ministry Someone else in earlier NFL coaching days does come
to mind as being a devout Christian--Tom Landry not only talked the
talk, he walked the walk. Tony Dungy, who led the Indianapolis Colts
to a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday in Miami, used the
same calm demeanor and principles he has always used. As he
became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, he
said: "That's one of the reasons I stayed in coaching...to prove you
can win with Christian principles."
In twelve NFL seasons,
Dungy had taken teams into the playoffs ten times. Sunday's win over
the Bears, which was not as close as the score indicated, showcased
Dungy's patience. When the Bears ran the opening kickoff back
92-yards for a touchdown, Dungy never changed expression. When the
Bears were up 14-6, still calm and cool Tony Dungy worked.
So did Peyton Manning. Despite heavy rains, Manning kept moving the
ball, short passes for the most part but a bomb to wide-open Reggie
Wayne helped get the Colts into rhythm and by halftime, despite
numerous turnovers, they had overtaken the Bears 16-14. The second
half was even more dominated by the Colts.
While accepting the Lombardi Trophy, Dungy embraced the history of the day
by saying, "I have to dedicate this to guys who came before
me--Jimmy Raye, Sherman Lewis, Lionel Taylor...they were great
coaches who could have done this if they had gotten the opportunity.
The Lord gave Lovie and I the opportunity." Dungy had embraced Lovie
Smith, the Bears coach who is a native of Big Sandy, Texas, at
midfield when the game ended. Two men who made history by being the
first African-Americans to lead opposing teams in a Super Bowl.
Smith got much of his NFL coaching experience as an assistant to
Dungy
in Tampa Bay.
Dungy has had his Faith tested off the playing field too. He lost
his mother and father within a short time span about three years ago
and in December of 2005, his 18-year-old son, James, was found dead
in his apartment in a suburb of Tampa in what a coroner's report
called a suicide. Dungy and his wife Lauren have two daughters and
two more sons.
This very different Super Bowl Champion Coach who treats all around
him with the utmost respect, despite a demanding work schedule,
still finds time to drive his children to school each morning before
he goes to work. He says "football is my job, not my life."
Two other often mentioned myths were put to bed with the Colts Super
Bowl victory. Behind his back some were saying Dungy would never win
the big one because he was too nice a guy and he had a dome built
because the Colts couldn't win outside, on grass, or in bad
weather.. That myth is now dead. And Dungy had heard that he would
never win a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning as his quarterback
because Manning never won championships in high school or college.
Bury that one too.
Manning not only got rid of that myth but was voted the MVP of
Sunday's Super Bowl.
Tony Dungy has never spent time thinking about things he couldn't
do. But he has spent a lifetime being a nice guy while proving you
don't have to drink, curse, smoke are talk in a loud voice to leave
an indelible mark in the NFL! An exceptional man, who happened to be
an African-American, won the Super Bowl.
It was a first---it won't be the last!
Murphy Martin
Your thoughts and comments forwarded to my website will be
appreciated.
e-mail
murphy@murphymartin.com
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