Sunday, February 10, 2002
[PRO BOWL]
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Gannon wins Rich Gannon got some unexpected help from another member of the NFL quarterbacking fraternity before locking up his second-straight Pro Bowl MVP yesterday.
second MVP
Touchdown passes to a pair of
Colts help the Raiders QB
overcome an early gaffeBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comIt was a Friday night call to Gannon's hotel room.
"Truth be told, I got a call from the Colts' Peyton Manning, and he told me 'throw to my guys.' He's a class guy, and he wanted me to do well."
And that's just what Gannon did.
With 10:32 left in the first quarter, the Raiders' signal-caller unloaded a strike to a streaking Marvin Harrison -- Manning's favorite target -- on a slant route, and Harrison sped to the end zone for a 55-yard score. The pass play cut the NFC's lead to 10-7 in what turned out to be a high-scoring first quarter.
But Gannon didn't stop looking for the horseshoe helmets. Indianapolis tight end Ken Dilger was the next recipient of a Gannon offering.
After the AFC took the lead on rushing touchdowns by Curtis Martin and Priest Holmes, Gannon zipped a pass to Dilger on the left sideline, and the tight end skipped into the end zone virtually untouched for an 18-yard TD and a 28-13 AFC lead.
Gannon completed 8 of 10 passes for 137 yards in less than a quarter and a half.
After the game, he was calm and smooth (just like he is in the pocket), accepting the MVP award greeting family and friends, answering questions from the press, chatting on camera with Chris Berman of ESPN and strolling to the sidelines to take some photographs next to his brand new Cadillac.
"I guess you have to win the MVP twice to get the Cadillac," Gannon quipped.
"It's a great honor to be playing with all these guys. I knew we had a good football team that could win this game if we avoided turnovers. I have experience in big games, and I was excited to be here playing."
Strangely, a turnover started Gannon's day. On the very first play from scrimmage, he intended to pitch to Curtis Martin of the Jets, but the ball found the green carpet instead. The NFC recovered the fumble and took a 7-0 lead moments later.
"I got off to a bad start with that fumble," Gannon said. "But after that, we got some good field position and were able to recover."
Another near-gaffe occurred midway through the first quarter. A high wobbler that "slipped out of my hands" was caught by New England's Troy Brown for a 30-yard gain to set up Holmes' 39-yard touchdown run.
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, who was too busy scrambling away from AFC tacklers throughout the second half, didn't know what was obvious to those in the press -- that Gannon won his second MVP.
"Rich won it again?" asked a puzzled McNabb before he jumped into the middle of an on-air ESPN interview with some other players.
One person who wasn't surprised about Gannon's big-time performance was his 74-year-old dad, Jim, who was at midfield to congratulate his son after the game.
"He works so hard," said the elder Gannon. "This is his reward; he never rests.
"When we go on vacation together on the Jersey Shore every year, the first thing he does is go to the gym, and he works out for three hours, then he throws the ball for a few hours before he goes running five or 10 miles. And this is his vacation."
"When he was a kid, he would come home from a game and throw the football by himself. He would throw it one way, run and get it and then throw it the other way.
"And when he was watching TV, he always had a football in his hand and would explain to me, 'Dad, I have to get used to holding this thing. You can't learn how to hold it just by playing in the games.' "
Gannon's leadership ability is not lost on AFC coach Bill Cowher of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
"He's very resourceful, he has a great feel for the game," Cowher said. "He's a focused, tremendous leader on the field. You always know you're going to be in the game when he's playing."
As for the Raiders' Super Bowl chances next year, Gannon was modest.
"We're really no different from any other team. Everybody will be trying to bolster their roster, and I'm sure we'll be real aggressive in the free-agent market."
A banner was hanging high at Aloha Stadium for Rich Gannon and all the rest of the past Pro Bowl MVPs yesterday.
And you can bet it's not a stretch to say he'll be trying to make it back to Hawaii next year -- with two banners hanging -- trying for MVP No. 3.