Because Broadway Joe Is Too Mainstream

Perhaps it was Beyonce's overly elaborate halftime show, the energy flowing in the Ravens' direction, or just simply poor planning that was the reason for Sunday's blackout in the Super Bowl, the game will stand as one of the greatest modern NFL championship games and not because of it being the "Bro Bowl." The blackout completely disrupted the course of the game and the flow of the Ravens offense. Not to make excuses, but that time lapse may have cost Baltimore a ring, had it not been for the lovable Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco, and his late game heroics to keep the game at a stalemate. Yes, a stalemate. Most Super Bowl MVP's became known for record setting or clutch performances, but Flacco's main contribution was keeping the game as it was, never allowing the 49ers to take the lead, despite a dominant and frightening 2nd half. Flacco's game basically represented everything about him as a player and a person. Though it may sound cliché, Joe Flacco is what every parent wants their child to grow up to become, by playing in the NFL, but not losing touch with the intangibles that got him there. Flacco may not possess the alien talents of Peyton, the flashiness and conceit of Brady, or the dynamic ability to go from mediocre at best to future Canton inductee of Eli. Joe is just Joe. A good way to imagine Flacco is as gravity, he may not always be visible or receive credit for everything, but he is essential to the well being of the universe and everything that happens in it.

Flacco says that his personality complements his team's low key, blue collar city, in the aspect that he doesn't put up jaw dropping stats, expect to win, or change his whole profile as a quarterback in the 2 minute offense. The way Flacco won the MVP was him just being himself. Although you could argue Jacoby Jones and his 2 enthralling touchdowns, the blackout divided the game into 2 completely different contests. I initially thought Jones was a shoe in for the MVP of the game for putting up one of the most electrifying and memorable collection of plays, but when Roger Goodell announced Flacco the recipient of the brand new Corvette, I can honestly say I agreed with him 100%. It would have been nice to see Ray Lewis win the MVP had he had an iconic Ray Lewis performance for the last game of his career, but after all the speculation directed towards Flacco for being an illegitimate force in the NFL, him winning it all may have finally put away everyone who said he couldn't. Not to mention being the Super Bowl MVP, Flacco is also in the history books as the winningest road quarterback in NFL playoff history. If there needs to be anymore proof that Flacco is an NFL elite, this proves it, he was able to do arguably the hardest thing in sports more than Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, and Tom Brady ever did.