Charles Woodson’s “Win One for the Gipper” Moment
[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.]
Update: Video fixed.
As a palate cleanser from all this heavy pontification on the meaning of the constitution, we get this article on Woodson’s injury during the Super Bowl:
One look at the X-ray was all it took. Charles Woodson turned away and sobbed. The fracture in his left collarbone was clear as day. His season was done at halftime of Super Bowl XLV.
Woodson emerged this season as the Green Bay Packers’ spiritual leader, and so through his tears he felt compelled to address his teammates before the third quarter began. He stood up and began to speak.
“I just asked the guys to understand how much I wanted it,” Woodson said.
“That’s all he could get out,” linebacker Desmond Bishop said. “He was all choked up, and there was just something about it that motivated all of us.”
Read the whole thing. And this video is relevant, too.
[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]
No on – NO ONE – who plays sports, especially professionally, and especially these days, is some kind of hero.
I love the MLB and the NFL, but these guys only play for glory – their own. Otherwise we wouldn’t have Canton and Cooperstown.
Woodson’s teary-eyes speech, regardless of whether it was sincere or not, was motivated by thought of winning that trophy.
JEA (30fa10) — 2/8/2011 @ 2:11 pmI did read the whole thing, but I didn’t see the video because it was stolen from the web by the same
peoplebeings that took the UFO video, or my computer is being jammed by the KGB again…Woodson is a very good player. It is impressive the way GB overcame a ton of injuries over the season, especially so in the second half of the super bowl. It is a team game. Sometimes it is one player who seems to “take things over”, but no way one person can make up for 10 others not doing their job. For example, it is great Starks has come on as a running back for the Packers, but a RB still doesn’t do much in the NFL without some blocking. Rodgers had a great game, so did his line- how many times was he hit? I don’t think very many.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 2/8/2011 @ 2:47 pmVideo’s not working for me (on Safari).
m (320466) — 2/8/2011 @ 3:23 pmThe video is now working for me on IE, but I still have nothing on the UFO.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 2/8/2011 @ 5:04 pmmd
well, its find in google chrome, not sure what to tell you. but its mel brook’s bit “jews in space.” er, “jooooos in space.”
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 2/8/2011 @ 5:07 pmVideo no funciona. Mac / Safari.
carlitos (180217) — 2/8/2011 @ 7:47 pmits fin
de in google chromeI try to drag my feet in adopting new soft-ware as long as possible…
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 2/8/2011 @ 7:49 pmHmm. After a refresh, it works.
Woodson seems like a good guy. For a Packer.
carlitos (180217) — 2/8/2011 @ 7:49 pmWoodson has been one of the best defenders in the NFL over the last two seasons, and has really flourished in Green Bay.
JD (d4bbf1) — 2/8/2011 @ 8:05 pmI’m with JEA. The tears of professional athletes don’t move me. People have used the military metaphors with football so much that these guys have begun to act like they actually fought for something more than a game, fame, and a paycheck.
On the other hand, I can understand the feelings. We each get caught up in our own world – and seek the recognition of our peers. I just don’t feel the need to watch the post-game show, or spend time admiring the millionaires who are congratulating each other there.
In the Detroit Metro area, here it is Wednesday and WJR is still talking about the Chrysler 200 commercial. Our own little worlds indeed.
Gesundheit (cfa313) — 2/9/2011 @ 6:41 amWoodson’s teary-eyes speech, regardless of whether it was sincere or not, was motivated by thought of winning that trophy.
Water is wet. Of course he is motivated by that trophy. That is what they play for.
JD (8c753a) — 2/9/2011 @ 6:45 amAs much as I gripe about the NFL, this is the kind of thing that is actually worthwhile.
Sure, it’s not as important as D-Day, but it’s a positive desire, by an injured athlete, that his team be excellent at their sport. Everyone should experience that kind of team devotion in their life sometime.
I get the feeling that money is not the main reason Woodson was crying.
If they could just get away from the trash, and focus on their sport, the NFL would be more enjoyable. Less sensational, perhaps not as rich, but more worthwhile.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 2/9/2011 @ 6:49 amDustin
> but it’s a positive desire, by an injured athlete, that his team be excellent at their sport.
Well, the dark mirror of that is that sometimes when you are not able to help, you want to see things go a little bit wrong. because who doesn’t get a little bit of an ego boost if it is obvious that the people we work with can’t get along without us? i mean you try not to feel those things, but that is still human.
Still, i think apart from the money he and the rest of his team wanted to be able to say they were the best in their chosen profession.
And being rich for the rest of their lives is in there too. if they are wise they are set for life. and i don’t have a problem with that. i mean we see people crying on TV all the time when they win the lottery, or a game show. that is the desire for money but money IS important.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 2/9/2011 @ 6:57 amYes, it is a game, and often the players do realize that.
But if you work your butt off to be the best you can be, and maybe better than others, and expect to be paid accordingly, that is a good example for society, as long as it is taken for what it is and not more.
Players would not be rich if there weren’t lawyers and agents getting rich too.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 2/9/2011 @ 7:01 am