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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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The Broncos’ win was full of storylines, but was it exciting?

Peyton Manning became the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two different franchises. (Matt York / Associated Press)
Peyton Manning became the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two different franchises. (Matt York / Associated Press)

A GRIP ON SPORTS • So what do you want to read about this morning? The Denver defense and if it is “one of the best of all-time?” Or Cam Newton’s press conference. Or Peyton Manning’s last hurrah? Or Marshawn Lynch’s symbolic-as-heck tweet? All of the above? OK, read on.

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• The Super Bowl is, without a doubt, a national treasure each year. It’s an event, a circled-calendar day, a programming extravaganza. Yesterday it was all those things. But it wasn’t a compelling football game. At least through the prism here. It was a mistake-filled affair at all levels, from both teams through the officiating – if a ball never touches the ground, how is it not a catch? – to the will-they-ever-get-it-right turf in Santa Clara. It was a game only a Denver Bronco fan could truly love. And good for them. After two years ago – we will get back to that game soon – they deserve it. But an exciting football game? No, not really. Yet, because there was a grand confluence of storytellers in Levis Stadium, there is no dearth of storylines. My favorite? Newton not understanding the responsibilities of his job. Whether you love him or hate him (and I, for one, welcome as refreshing his on-field attitude), you have to admit one of the key elements of being a leader, a role all NFL quarterbacks sign up for, is to answer for the team’s successes and/or failures. Russell Wilson did that last year after the miserable and shocking end to Super Bowl 49. Tom Brady, Manning, Aaron Rodgers, they all have had to sit through it. It ain’t easy. But whoever said the job was easy? Newton couldn’t. Not yesterday. But he’ll learn. He’ll figure it out. If he ever gets there again and loses, he’ll handle it better. Like Manning. There was a Star Trek episode back in the day when Captain Kirk was referred to as “Captain Dunsel.”  It meant, in Star Trek-ese, he was useless. Well, Manning wasn’t quarterback Dunsel yesterday, but he was close. He was along for the ride. And the defense carried him to his second Super Bowl ring. Yes, the Broncos’ defense dominated but to call it the best ever is a bit of hyperbole. To even call it the best in the past five years would be over the top. Look, the Denver offense came into 2014’s Super Bowl as, statistically, the most prolific of all time. Manning was at his best. There were weapons everywhere. And it looked like a Pop Warner group against the Hawks’ defense. Yes, the Denver defense had to be near-perfect against Carolina. The Bronco offense was that impotent. And the defense was great, though the Panthers did have a few good drives, scored a touchdown, kicked a field goal, doinked another attempt off the upright. The Hawks’ defense didn’t have to be flawless, the offense was doing its part. But Seattle was for almost three full quarters. Remember, it was 36-0 before Manning got Denver into the end zone that game. Denver rushed for 27 yards. Turned the ball over four times. It’s obvious those saying this is the best defense of all time are caught up in the what-happened-last syndrome. It’s OK. It’s understandable. It’s also wrong.

• When I saw Marshawn Lynch’s tweet I didn’t get it at first. The wire holding up the cleats eluded me. Bad eyesight. Or bad lighting on the picture. But once I got the symbolism I was impressed. What a perfect way to announce a retirement. And the perfect time. A visual image like that has to be seen to be effective. There was no better moment than the second half of the Super Bowl, when the sporting world’s eyes were on Twitter. Like many of his runs. Lynch nailed it. Selfish? Maybe, but who cares? A guy was saying goodbye. The game was so-so. It has down time. Through the cleats out there, let everyone digest what it means and move on. Good for him. And goodbye.

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• WSU: Not a lot going on in the Pac-12 yesterday, appropriately, but there was one basketball game. Oregon handled Utah, 76-66, in Eugene.

• Gonzaga: Jim Meehan returned to the blog yesterday morning with his look back at a crucial road win. ... With its home loss to Pacific on Saturday, BYU has assured the only way it will play in the NCAA tournament is if it wins the WCC’s automatic berth.

• Whitworth: The Pirate baseball team must love the warm weather of California.

• Chiefs: Everett will be missing an important player for a while.

• Seahawks: We all reacted to Lynch’s announcement, didn’t we? Though all in different ways.

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• We’ll delve more into what Lynch’s career meant – and where Seattle goes from here – when everything is official. Until later ...



Vince Grippi
Vince Grippi is a freelance local sports blogger for spokesman.com. He also contributes to the SportsLink Blog.

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