| The game of football has had so many great and not | | | | testament to the integrity of the man himself. He will |
| so great moments that it would take a month of | | | | always be remembered more for the sacrifice he |
| Sundays to list even a fraction of them. So we're not | | | | made off the field than for his play on it. |
| even going to try here. And in case you're | | | | But not all football moments were bad. There were |
| wondering, we're not even going to list the best of | | | | quite a few good ones as well. For example, on |
| the best, since that would be a matter of opinion | | | | December 14, 2003, a New York Jets running back |
| anyway. No, we're just going to present some classic | | | | by the name of Curtis Martin racked up 174 yards |
| and tragic moments in the game that, hopefully, will | | | | running in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He |
| bring back a memory or two. | | | | became only the second player in NFL history to gain |
| Probably one of the biggest disasters in football | | | | 1,000 yards in his first 9 seasons. It may not seem |
| history was November 17, 1968, when the New York | | | | like much, but it was quite a feat. |
| Jets were playing the Oakland Raiders. The Jets | | | | If you're a big New York Giants fan, there was |
| were leading 32-29 when the game went to | | | | probably no more tense a moment than in Super |
| commercial. It never came back on the air. Why? | | | | Bowl XXV. The Giants were leading 20-19 in the |
| Because there was a scheduled movie by the name | | | | game against the Bills. It was the last seconds of the |
| of Heidi that was to air next. So the network broke | | | | game. The Bills were setting up to kick what should |
| away from the game and showed the movie. Jet | | | | have been the game winning field goal from 47 yards |
| fans figured the Jets had won. Not quite. The Raiders | | | | out. Not a sure thing but certainly makable. Well, the |
| scored, not once, but twice and won the game | | | | kick went wide right and the Giants hung on for the |
| 43-32. Since that time, networks never broke into a | | | | victory. It was one of the most nail biting finishes in |
| game again because of public outrage. This game | | | | NFL Super Bowl history. |
| went down in history as "The Heidi Game". | | | | And the list of moments goes on forever. Something |
| An even more tragic moment in Football history, very | | | | about the game of football, especially with time being |
| recent in fact, was on June 23, 2004. On this day, | | | | such a big factor, that makes the game so tense. |
| Pat Tillman, who was a defensive back for the | | | | The last minute drives, the last second field goal |
| Arizona Cardinals, a man who gave up a multi million | | | | attempts, they're all such a big part of what makes |
| dollar contract playing football to join the military, was | | | | this game so much fun to watch and so nerve |
| killed on this date in Afghanistan. Tillman was a | | | | wracking in the process. |