So due to all this reflecting on Marshall Faulk's career, I have to look back at one special trip I took. Back in 2004, my dad and I took a trip up to Green Bay Wisconsin to see Monday Night Football, Brett Favre's 200th consecutive start, and of course, his opponent, the Rams. We are both fans of Brett Favre, but my favorite player was, without a doubt, sir Marshall.
When we pulled up to the city of Green Bay, I could not believe how small it was. And then, on one side of this town was this gigantic stadium. When its lights came on, the whole town would light up, because no other building was even half of its size. We spent our first day there taking in all of the sights, and getting caught up in the Packer/Brett Favre craze. The entire town was Packers, from the Hardee's menu (which included Favre Fries and the Freeman Burger) to the green and yellow gas stations. The radio stations even played parodies of famous songs that were written to Packers' tunes. And if the Pack was the locals' religion, then Brett Favre was their god. I cannot imagine what the town is like now after all that went down in Brett's final years, but back then he was everywhere. He had his own section in their Hall of Fame, including a 24 hour video that played his highlights. You could buy his gear at most of the stores, including his high school jersey.
Needless to say, those people love their Packers, and I admire and respect them greatly. However, I went there to see my Rams play. We tailgated with the locals the day of, which included me freezing while my dad drank Bloody Marys to stay warm. It was disheartening to see the locals walking by me in T-shirts, and later no shirts, and see them not even shiver. We finished up the festivities and headed to the game. I was in a Marshall Faulk jersey the whole time, and I heard my fair share of heckling on our way there.
We arrived at our seats to find out that they were nothing more than a reserved stenciled number written on a metal bench. You could barely see my number, because the 300 lb woman sitting in the next seat over had to borrow it due to the small size of the spots. So, I squeezed between my dad and her and proceeded to watch.
The Rams didn't give me much to cheer for most of the game, because the Pack stuck it to them. Brett had a good night, and the Packers' defense had a great time picking off our quarterback's passes. It appeared that the brutal weather was effecting the Rams as well. The Packers' fans were loud, and I was pretty annoyed, as I am also somewhat of a sore loser. I got a few yells in there, and dirty looks were coming at me from all angles already. Then, however, the real excitement happened.
The Rams had managed to get down inside the Packers' 10 yard line, and they were lined up with most of the offense bunched at the middle of the field. Then, using his supreme intelligence as he always does, Marshall Faulk motioned out of the back field and sprinted to the edge of the field. Just as he suspected, no body on defense picked him up, and a linebacker who was much slower came out to cover him late. I stood up in anticipation, being sure to scream at Bulger and let him know Marshall was open. The Packers' defense exploded through the line and Bulger barely had enough time to muscle the ball out to the edge of the field. But as usual, Marshall adjusted, making everybody look good, and pulled in the TD.
I exploded in excitement, screaming over and over and jumping up and down. I may have even directed my screams directly at the fans around me due to the way the game had gone. It wasn't until I sat down that I realized my voice was the only one making any noise in the stadium. By the way, we were sitting at the end zone that Marshall scored in, and we weren't far off the field, so it all happened right in front of me. I will always cherish this trip my dad and I took very closely, but this memory will stand out above the rest.
Needless to say, the Packer's fans got their revenge as the 300 lb woman and the other surrounding fans let me know just how excited they were the next time the Packers scored. And the time after that. And the time after that. I was bummed the Rams lost, but I was glad to have been there and seen Brett's start and Marshall's score.
Oh, and last but not least, one of the Packers' fans was none other than my dad. Not only did he help them celebrate each Packers score, but as we left the game he somehow managed to stay 5-6 people away at all times so that people wouldn't confuse him with the idiot Rams' fan. The fans were pretty brutal as we left, telling me not to come back, have a nice trip home, etc. I have since seen worse, but as a 13 year old seeing it for the first time, it was a little rough. Some fans, to their credit, did praise me for supporting my team so that was pretty cool. As a matter of fact, I envy the Packer nation a lot, and wish the Rams fans would be as devoted as those guys. I would definitely go back Green Bay and Lambeau Field, although that place, like the NFL itself, will never be the same without Marshall Faulk.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Hall of Fame
Well, its official. One of the all time greatest running backs of all time, Marshall Faulk, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. I became a fan of the Rams before Marshall's time, but was never the same after. It began when the team first came to St. Louis. It was a lot of fun having a team, and although my age was not even in the double digits when they first got here, I was instantly hooked. There were some great players to come and go, such as Chris Miller, Jerome Bettis, and Kevin Greene to name a few. I also loved the guys who were here from the beginning and stayed through the glory days, such as D Farr, Reverend Ike, and Todd Lyght. However, none of these guys captivated me like the new Marshall who arrived in town.
Marshall Faulk was acquired by the Rams in the off season between the '98 and '99 seasons. Warner emerged at this time, and guard Adam Timmerman arrived as well. These guys were all pieces of the puzzle. Marshall would probably not have enjoyed the level of success he did without the entire Greatest Show on Turf, although I do feel he was truly a once in a life time talent that would have changed this game either way. I knew about Marshall's ridiculous rookie season in Indy, and also of the team he and Peyton were getting off of the ground. Unfortunately, I also heard about some of the ugly sides of his last years in Indy, but the NFL is a business. These details are unnecessary to the story of how I became the biggest Marshall Fan I know, but they will help the uniformed fan get a feel for what I was feeling at the time. My feelings were that I was unsure about who this guy was, but I knew he was an amazing talent. I did not realize at the time how much of an understatement this was.
As the preseason took off, our offense looked great. They came out blaring, and my Dad, uncle and I all actually went to the preseason game against the Chargers. When Rodney Harrison took out Trent Green from a crouched position and went straight into his knee, the stadium emptied quickly. Its funny looking back, because I was excited about many of the offensive stars, but I was wearing a Lawrence Phillips jersey. He was supposed to be our stud running back after we took him in the first round of a previous draft, but unfortunately turned out to be a bust. Of all the great players I could have had, he was the one on my back. It was also funny, because at the game, and people were chanting "Bye bye season" in our section and Trent went donw. The rest is history, as the former stock boy took over and ran one of the most prolific offenses in history to a Superbowl victory. He took much of the credit, but his team did not lose sight of the other amazing individual feats being accomplished by someone else.
The NFL voted Kurt its MVP, but the team voted Marshall theirs. He not only lined up plays early in the season, put many of the offensive players in their positions all year, was an amazing receiver, rusher, but was also our most dangerous weapon. He was then and would continue to be until he left the game. In fact, in both of our Superbowl appearances our opponents' main objective was to slow down Marshall. Bill Belichik, one of the greatest coaches of all time, said in interviews later the entire defensive game plan began and ended with having enough defenders in the backfield to force Marshall to block. That's right, not to put pressure on Kurt, but to stop Marshall. When the Greatest Show on Turf was up and running, Marshall partook in the fun, setting such records as the single season touchdown record, most receiving yards by a running back in a season in history, most yards from scrimmage in a season, and many others.
When Kurt had his pinkie issues and the Bulger era was beginning, Marshall remained constant. He led the team, put them on his back, and kept us in playoff hunts. The more the team struggled, the more he got the ball. Nothing tailed off either.
The funny thing was, coming out of college, and through much of his career, Marshall was not regarded as the fastest, strongest, or even most agile running back. He wasn't terrible at these things, but his strength was without a doubt his mind. He would know what everyone on his team was doing, the other team was doing, and where he could exploit match ups. He could line up out wide as a receiver if there weren't enough db's to cover him, stay in and stop defenders, who usually had a minimum of 30 lbs on him, with a strong block, and he could easily get through any team's the front 7 defenders as well. He could be running full speed and stop on a dime. He could go into an entire play designed to go to one side of the field and go to the other.
Marshall played the game with a grace rarely seen and an intelligence never matched. Furthermore, he played the game without any character issues on the field. He only participated in celebrations the whole team could participate in, namely the infamous Bob 'N' Weave. When team celebrations were banned by the league, he simply handed the ball to the refs after big plays. I saw one interview where Marshall said he simply let his performance speak for itself and didn't feel any words or other actions were necessary. He could be called a silent assassin, as he kept prima donna actions out of the game, yet could take over and dominate any game at any time.
The highlight reels are endless, the stats speak for themselves, and the Hall of Fame induction puts everything into perspective. Marshall owned the game when he played it, and I truly believe I will always say that he is the greatest player I will have ever seen on the field. It is a milestone in my life to have attended the ceremony where the Rams raised the number 28 to the rafters, never to be worn again. Afterwards, watching Marshall's speech, thanking the fans for it, was just as moving. Congrats on getting into the Hall Marshall, I will be there on August 6 watching you get inducted and giving your speech there. You deserve it, and now the history books will show this as well. Thanks for not only taking over every game you played, but the city of St. Louis, the sport itself, the name of my firstborn son, and any chance of me seeing a better player.
Marshall Faulk was acquired by the Rams in the off season between the '98 and '99 seasons. Warner emerged at this time, and guard Adam Timmerman arrived as well. These guys were all pieces of the puzzle. Marshall would probably not have enjoyed the level of success he did without the entire Greatest Show on Turf, although I do feel he was truly a once in a life time talent that would have changed this game either way. I knew about Marshall's ridiculous rookie season in Indy, and also of the team he and Peyton were getting off of the ground. Unfortunately, I also heard about some of the ugly sides of his last years in Indy, but the NFL is a business. These details are unnecessary to the story of how I became the biggest Marshall Fan I know, but they will help the uniformed fan get a feel for what I was feeling at the time. My feelings were that I was unsure about who this guy was, but I knew he was an amazing talent. I did not realize at the time how much of an understatement this was.
As the preseason took off, our offense looked great. They came out blaring, and my Dad, uncle and I all actually went to the preseason game against the Chargers. When Rodney Harrison took out Trent Green from a crouched position and went straight into his knee, the stadium emptied quickly. Its funny looking back, because I was excited about many of the offensive stars, but I was wearing a Lawrence Phillips jersey. He was supposed to be our stud running back after we took him in the first round of a previous draft, but unfortunately turned out to be a bust. Of all the great players I could have had, he was the one on my back. It was also funny, because at the game, and people were chanting "Bye bye season" in our section and Trent went donw. The rest is history, as the former stock boy took over and ran one of the most prolific offenses in history to a Superbowl victory. He took much of the credit, but his team did not lose sight of the other amazing individual feats being accomplished by someone else.
The NFL voted Kurt its MVP, but the team voted Marshall theirs. He not only lined up plays early in the season, put many of the offensive players in their positions all year, was an amazing receiver, rusher, but was also our most dangerous weapon. He was then and would continue to be until he left the game. In fact, in both of our Superbowl appearances our opponents' main objective was to slow down Marshall. Bill Belichik, one of the greatest coaches of all time, said in interviews later the entire defensive game plan began and ended with having enough defenders in the backfield to force Marshall to block. That's right, not to put pressure on Kurt, but to stop Marshall. When the Greatest Show on Turf was up and running, Marshall partook in the fun, setting such records as the single season touchdown record, most receiving yards by a running back in a season in history, most yards from scrimmage in a season, and many others.
When Kurt had his pinkie issues and the Bulger era was beginning, Marshall remained constant. He led the team, put them on his back, and kept us in playoff hunts. The more the team struggled, the more he got the ball. Nothing tailed off either.
The funny thing was, coming out of college, and through much of his career, Marshall was not regarded as the fastest, strongest, or even most agile running back. He wasn't terrible at these things, but his strength was without a doubt his mind. He would know what everyone on his team was doing, the other team was doing, and where he could exploit match ups. He could line up out wide as a receiver if there weren't enough db's to cover him, stay in and stop defenders, who usually had a minimum of 30 lbs on him, with a strong block, and he could easily get through any team's the front 7 defenders as well. He could be running full speed and stop on a dime. He could go into an entire play designed to go to one side of the field and go to the other.
Marshall played the game with a grace rarely seen and an intelligence never matched. Furthermore, he played the game without any character issues on the field. He only participated in celebrations the whole team could participate in, namely the infamous Bob 'N' Weave. When team celebrations were banned by the league, he simply handed the ball to the refs after big plays. I saw one interview where Marshall said he simply let his performance speak for itself and didn't feel any words or other actions were necessary. He could be called a silent assassin, as he kept prima donna actions out of the game, yet could take over and dominate any game at any time.
The highlight reels are endless, the stats speak for themselves, and the Hall of Fame induction puts everything into perspective. Marshall owned the game when he played it, and I truly believe I will always say that he is the greatest player I will have ever seen on the field. It is a milestone in my life to have attended the ceremony where the Rams raised the number 28 to the rafters, never to be worn again. Afterwards, watching Marshall's speech, thanking the fans for it, was just as moving. Congrats on getting into the Hall Marshall, I will be there on August 6 watching you get inducted and giving your speech there. You deserve it, and now the history books will show this as well. Thanks for not only taking over every game you played, but the city of St. Louis, the sport itself, the name of my firstborn son, and any chance of me seeing a better player.
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