There are 22 players on a football team in addition to the punter and kicker. Of those 22, one player, the quarterback, gets 60% of the attention and credit (and blame) for the team’s performance. The other five players (back and both ends) receive 35% of the attention (i.e. they each get 7%). The remaining 5% goes to the 11 members of the defending team (i.e. each gets less than half of 1%). The five players on the offensive line (excluding ends) get 0%. Why is that so? The performance of a defensive line can be measured by the number of tackles, sacks and fumble recoveries. But all the offensive line does is block. How can you measure it?
Drake Maye took all the blame for the Patriot’s poor performance. But this game was really about Seattle’s defensive line that didn’t give Maye time to throw the ball and sacked him a record number of times in the Superbowl. They received most of the credit for Seattle’s victory. And the team’s head coach recognized their performance on stage when the Vince Lombardi Trophy was presented. But who were the two players who got to speak on stage representing the team? Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker. And it was Walker who received the trophy.
Controversy of the Day: ‘Walker didn’t deserve the trophy, but rather kicker Jason Myers, who broke the NFL Super Bowl record with six field goals.’ The controversy may have been an expression of racism. The kicker is probably white without exception. But what about Seattle’s defensive linemen? Critics of Walker’s selection didn’t even consider that a defensive lineman should have received the trophy. Maybe all five combined.
And poor May took all the blame for the Patriots’ loss. But shouldn’t most of the blame fall on the offensive linemen? In my opinion, if the quarterback gets most of the credit for the wins, it’s only logical that he gets the blame for the losses. All of this shows how unequal and unfair football is.
