CHRIS LAU: XL could have used more Rice

CHRIS LAU: XL could have used more Rice

My favorite memory of Super Bowl week is simple.

I haven't watched football all season -- it got too painful for me to watch football games after my idol Jerry Rice retired, especially knowing that at 43, he could still help most of the teams in the league.
But having a gazillion televisions all over the media center forced me to watch football. It was the only thing on.

And, frequently, the football shows replayed and reflected on the career of "Mr. Flash 80."
It was the simple joy of watching clips of a younger Rice toasting NFL secondaries, combined with a news conference where his former quarterback, Steve Young, reminisced about throwing him the ball, that were my highlights for the week before XL.

Talking about the night before Super Bowl XXIX, Young said, "Quarterbacking with a great defense and a great offensive line and Jerry Rice, you sleep pretty good."

I know I'll never get to watch Rice play again, but this past week made me realize how far each of the Steelers and Seahawks receivers I saw on the field Sunday night still have to go to reach Rice's numbers.
And that reminded me of just how unbelievable a player my hero was.

Jerry Rice has recently become a new found hero in ballroom dancing on
Dancing With The Stars; Not only is he regarded as the best receiver to ever play the game, and arguably the greatest football player ever. Now he is doing an incredible job and working very hard with Professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya on prime time TV. I believe he is now working muscles he never knew he had.
Not being one who watches TV very often, this act caught my attention.