Classic Vinsanity

Steve Lipofsky / Wikimedia Commons

Vince Carter is possibly one of the greatest dunk performers ever, performing ferocious dunks with ease. Vince Carter won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest held in Oakland, California advancing to the first round with 100 points and beating Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady in the finals. What made this dunk contest unique was the fact that there was a NBA lockout in 1999 which prevented that year’s dunk contest from taking place. In 2000 Carter brought back the excitement of the dunk to the crowd. There was no doubt that he would win the contest as audiences were awed by his athletic abilities. He scored 98 points, 7 points higher than second place Francis in the final round. Carter electrified the contest starting with a reverse 360 windmill and kept the momentum going to make the biggest highlight of the night with a between-the-legs dunk off an alley-oop from McGrady.

Carter’s aerial abilities allowed him to make a stepping stone for his career when he won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. Carter led his team, the Toronto Raptors, into their first playoff in the 2000 NBA playoff. Carter became the Raptors' franchise player and was voted into the All-Star Team starting lineup numerous times. During the 2003 All-Star game he gave up his All-Star spot so franchise great Michael Jordan could participate in his final start as an All-Star. Carter became one of only three players along with Michael Jordan and Julius Erving to lead the NBA All-Star game fan voting on at-least three occasions. Due to injuries and safety reasons, fans never got to see “Vinsanity” perform seemingly impossible dunks in the dunk contest again.

"J-Rich's" Back to Back Successes

Jason Richardson / Keith Allison (Wikimedia Commons)

Jason Richardson, also known as “J-Rich” is among one of only five men to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest more than once in the 27 years that is has taken place. The former Golden State Warrior clinched the victory in February 2003 while withstanding great pressure from his competitors. Richardson's victory required extra innovation in order to top the behind-the-head two-handed windmill dunk that made him winner of the 2002 Slam Dunk Contest. 

For the 2003 competition, he brought out a powerful windmill off of a bounce dunk to outdo Amar’e Stoudemire’s nearly perfect score of 49. Richardson advanced to the final round with Desmond Mason who quickly became the crowd and judges favorite to win after executing a left handed under-the-leg dunk. J-Rich responded with a reverse between-the-leg, behind-the-head dunk to seal him a perfect score of 50 from the judges. Mason gave Richardson a run for his money throughout the contest though by keeping the score close and ended with 93 compared to Rich’s score of 96.

In 2005, an NBA.com poll qualified Richardson’s 2003 winning dunk as the number one dunk of all time. This acclaimed success placed the rising athlete above legends such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Spud Webb in the eyes of basketball fans around the globe. Richardson credited Gilbert Arenas in an NBA.com interview as the one who gave him the idea for the winning dunk that has been praised countless times. Interestingly enough, the first time that Richardson actually did it perfectly was in the Slam Dunk Contest itself.

Richardson had not always been so well known and he faced the task of distinguishing himself despite being a new player at the time. He was the fifth overall pick of the Golden State Warriors in the 2001 NBA Draft and became a Rookie Challenge MVP the following year. Despite his recognition, Richardson failed to meet expectations in 2003, averaging about 15 points per game. It is Jason Richardson’s body of work in the dunking arena; however, that has made him immortal in the NBA’s list of legendary dunking champions.

Nate Robinson poisons the competition in the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest

Nate Robinson / Keith Allison

Nate Robinson, also known as “Nate the Great”, was the victor in the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, which took place in Phoenix, Arizona. The reason he is called “Nate the Great” is because of his ability to wow the crowd. Standing at merely 5’9” and weighing 180 pounds, Nate impresses with his 43.5" vertical leap. The Seattle, Washington native has won multiple Slam Dunk Contests, but his most memorable one is by far this one because he dunked over Dwight Howard, who stands at a towering 6’11” and weighing in at 265 pounds.

Robinson was able to beat J. R. Smith and Rudy Fernández, in addition to the aforementioned Dwight Howard.

The interesting thing about this contest is that Robinson arrived prepared in the final round of the contest. As soon as Dwight Howard changed into the Superman gimmick by dunking on a 12 foot hoop, Nate went out and changed into the New York Knicks’ green uniform used on Saint Patrick’s Day, in addition to a lime-green pro-shooter arm sleeve and neon-green Nike Foamposite Lite basketball shoes. The significance of all the green is that he was symbolizing Kryptonite, or in his case, “Kryptonate." Kryptonite is Superman’s only known weakness, implying that Nate was going to weaken Dwight Howard.

Robinson’s signature dunk was the one-handed slam in which he leaped over Howard and cleared him. Howard got the opportunity to follow up with the last dunk. His final dunk was one where he did a Michael Jordan move and jumped from the free-throw line. As impressive as that was for a man of Howard’s build, it was Robinson’s creativity and originality that helped him secure the victory over Howard.

Looking back on The Human Highlight Film's great dunking

Two days before the 2011 Slam Dunk Competition , we look back 26 years ago when “The Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins won his first of two slam dunk titles . He achieved this feat by beating Michael Jordan after three rounds. Five years later he defeated Kenny Smith in the final becoming the second two-time winner of the Slam Dunk Competition. The first title was won in Indianapolis where he displayed his impressive 42” vertical leap. He easily won the first round with two 49 point dunks. In the semi-final, Wilkins and Jordan placed 1st an 2nd and made into the finals . Wilkins ultimately won the final with his signature dunk, the two-handed windmill. This created a dunk competition rivalry between Wilkins and Jordan.

In 1990, Wilkins returned for his fifth try at the competition. This time he dueled with guard Kenny Smith. Wilkins defeated him by less than 2 points.

Wilkins' career was all about consistency and his ability to hold up the team even though he was not surrounded by great players. His career stats are worthy of one of the NBA’s greats. In 2006, he was inducted in the Hall of Fame establishing him as one of basketball's legends.

Kenny "Skywalked" to victory in the 1989 Slam Dunk Contest

Walker Dunking / Keith Fujimoto

Kenny Walker, nicknamed Kenny “Sky” Walker for his leaping ability, won the 1989 All Star Game Slam Dunk Contest in Houston. Walker was a small forward for the New York Knicks and the first Knick to win ever win the contest. The event's star studded field included NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler and former Slam Dunk champion Spud Webb.

Despite their star power, Walker left them in the dust. After reaching the finals of the dunk contest he posted the highest ever single round score with a 148.1 out of 150 in the finals. Drexler, the runner up, did not even attempt his final dunk because the score was out of reach. Walker’s signature dunk of the contest was his “Baseline Rock-The-Baby” where he went from the baseline and “rocked-the-baby” under the hoop and dunked it behind him. Walker would go on compete in one more contest losing the 1990 Slam Dunk Contest to Dominque Wilkins.

Walker's dunking ability was his claim to fame during his otherwise unspectacular career. The best statistical season he had was his rookie season in 1986 where he scored 10.4 points a game. After five seasons with the Knicks he went to the ABA for two years because of knee injuries. Walker made an NBA comeback with the Washington Bullets but never became the high impact player which many thought he would be after his rookie season. As injuries continued to plague Walker he retired from the NBA after the 1994-95 season.

1997 Dunk Contest - Kobe Bryant

Megan Stiner / Wikimedia Commons

Kobe Bryant: Winner of 1997 Dunk Contest in Cleveland, Ohio.

First Round: Kobe Bryant - 37
Finals: Kobe Bryant - 49

Final Standings: 1. Kobe Bryant 2. Chris Carr 3. Michael Finley

First round, Bryant was down seven points from Chris Carr who had scored 44 points. By the end of round two, it was Bryant with 49 points and Chris Carr with 45. Not only did Bryant make a stunning upset in the dunk contest, he was only 18 years old. Bryant is the youngest player ever to win the contest; a record that has yet to be broken at this day and age. He, along with Michael Jordan and Brent Barry are the only three players to have won an NBA championship and a slam dunk contest. By winning this dunk contest, Bryant started his rookie career as a fan favorite and won his first NBA championship three years later.

Take A Look At Superman

Dwight Howard, the winner of the 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest held in New Orleans is now in his fifth All Star game. Howard has been ranked consistently as one of the best in the league in rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage. He was named Defensive Player of the Year twice and was a starting center for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. He is still ranked as one of the top centers in the league.

In 2008, Howard beat the defending champion Gerald Green in the final round to take the crown. Audiences had high expectations for Howard because of his ability to jump so high. In the first round of the dunk contest, Howard scored a 100 by bouncing the ball behind the backboard and slamming it down. During the second round of the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, Howard fascinated everyone by attempting to dunk while wearing the Superman outfit. The crowd loved his creativity and Howard was surely to be declared as the winner. For his second dunk Howard soared so high that instead of dunking it he literally threw it down. He silenced his competitors with that dunk and the contest was pretty much over. Superman took home the crown.

Dragons Boys Basketball falls short in playoffs

Courtesy of T. Henning

Making their first playoff appearance in five years, the High School for Math, Science and Engineering Dragons traveled all the way to Jamaica, Queens to face the High School for Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leopards Wednesday evening.

Eager to prove themselves after narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the Dragons entered the game with hopes of making a Cinderella-type run in the PSAL Class-B playoffs. Those hopes were quickly extinguished when the Leopards exploded with a 13-2 finish of the second quarter to extend their lead to 24-8 at halftime. Senior Chris Yates attributed the Dragons slow start to their inability to handle the pressure of a playoff atmosphere, "I think we could have played smarter because we were rushing our shots and letting the pressure of making it to the finals affect us too much.  We also could have been more patient in the first half to get our offense going because what really got us was that we couldn't set up our plays correctly."

The Dragons, however, did not go away quietly. They stayed within one point of the Leopards in both the third and fourth quarters, losing the second half of the game by only two points. The tenacity the Dragons showed in the second half was a testament to the resiliency that has kept them competitive the entire season.

The deficit they suffered during the first half though, proved to be too large to overcome, with the Leopards moving into the second round with a 52-34 victory.

For a team that didn't return any starters, Yates reflected on the Dragons unexpected playoff berth. "It feels really good and rewarding seeing as how in the beginning of the season I didn't think this would even be possible. I saw the whole team from last year graduate, so I thought we would have to start from scratch.  Honestly, I didn't even think we were better than last years team, but apparently we were good enough to make it to the playoffs."

2011 HSMSE Boys Basketball Season Review

Coach Epstein during a timeout / T. Henning

Going into the 2010-2011 season, the HSMSE Dragons had almost a completely new team, returning only four players, none of whom had significant roles on the team. This meant that the new players who had no experience playing together would have a steep learning curve in order to be competitive. The team managed to come together and put up a very respectable 6-6 record which earned them the right to play in the team’s first playoff game in five years. The Dragons will play the High School of Law Enforcement and Public Safety in a first round game on Wednesday evening.

To get to their 6-6 record the Dragons went through some highs and lows, having a stretch where they won four out of five games, but also experiencing a three game losing streak. The team’s greatest win was against the 8-4 Manhattan Village Academy. Senior point guard Nate McGrory hit a game winning three-pointer with just seconds on the clock to give the Dragons a one point victory. The Dragons also had a letdown, losing against 3-9 Fiorello H. LaGuardia, that they had already beaten prior this season.

To make the season as successful as it was, the Dragons needed everyone to step up and contribute to the team. Rookie sophomore forward Kavan Edwards emerged as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Others making significant contributions were seniors McGrory and Chris Yates and junior Eli Auslander. Teamwork was one area where the Dragons improved significantly from the beginning of the season. Yates stated that he tried to involved his teammates more in the offense opting to be, “more of a ‘Rondo’ than a ‘Kobe’.”

The players credited coach Richard Epstein with much of their improvement. “The coaching was effective because he showed us exactly what he wanted us to do. The problem came when we tried to do it,” stated Yates. Popovic added that Epstein had heavily, “worked with us on our passing and dribbling,” two areas that were key for their successful play.

Although there was a lot of growth on the team, their weaknesses were still apparent. One of which was maintaining their energy level, which showed up in the disappointing loss to LaGuardia after blowing a 13-3 first quarter lead. In order to have a chance in the playoffs, the Dragons are going to have to play hard and stay focused for the entire game, not just the first quarter. In addition, the Dragons will have to swing the momentum from their three consecutive losses going into Wednesday's playoff contest.

Looking forward to next season, the Dragons have the potential to be better than they were this year. Losing only two seniors, they will have the opportunity to grow as a team and build more chemistry. Players like Edwards and Auslander will be able to mature and form a strong core of the team. However, they will need other players who did not get a chance to play much this year to step up and contribute. These contributions could come from players like Popovic, Yassine Khaliqui and Brandon Agyemang.

The HSMSE Dragons developed a lot during the 2010-2011 season. They fought hard and now they have a chance to compete in the playoffs for the first time in five seasons and have a promising future looking forward to next season.


Marcelo Bravo, Matthew Josephs, Hafizul Sarker, and An-Khe Tomer contributed to this article.

Tough Season for Lady Dragons

Coptsias leads the attack / T. Henning

This season has been one of rebuilding for the HSMSE Lady Dragons Basketball Team. The Lady Dragons 3-13 finish was a decline from last year's 7-9 record. “Last season was more successful but I believe that is only because majority of the players had been playing with each other for at least a year so we knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and played off of that,” said Chartia Coptsias, the current team captain and four year starter at the point guard position.


Despite their struggles, the team stuck together throughout the entire season. “The strength was our team chemistry. We got along with each other,” said senior forward Rija Baig. Our seniors averaged solid numbers. Leading the scoring attack for the Dragons were seniors Shaquasia Myrie (9.7 ppg) and Chartia Coptsias (9.5 ppg). Rahshel Brown led the team in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game.


There were a few brave freshmen who joined the team and put in the time to get better. Donna FintziMikaela Bloch both attended the practices and games, and had the desire to learn how to improve in basketball “With the help of Mr.Diunte, the team has improved in both basic shooting and dribbling skills,” stated Fintzi. and


The most memorable game from the season was the blowout win against Chelsea Career on December 21st. The team as a whole was firing on all cylinders and playing united. Coptsias scored 20 points that game and Myrie contributed 11 points giving the Dragons their second victory of the season.


The seniors graduating in June will leave big shoes to fill, as they dominated the playing time on the court. The rest of the team and other interested students will need to use the off-season to practice their skills to be able to fill the playing time of this year’s seniors.

Steelers loss expected before the end of the game

The turning point of Super Bowl XLV was Nick Collins' interception in the first quarter, which ultimately led to a touchdown. The Steelers' momentum was affected by this play because the Steelers did not score at all in the first quarter and barely managed to make a touchdown at the end of the second quarter.

One of Pittsburgh’s weaknesses during this game was their turnovers. The Steelers had a fumble and two interceptions which would be the deciding factor of the game.

The Steelers are known to be one of the top defensive teams in the NFL. They were ranked as number two for total defense in the league during the regular season; however, yesterday’s game showed otherwise. The Packers had a huge lead in the first half, but the Steelers managed to make a comeback; however it was a little too late and the Packers ended up with the trophy.

James Starks: Green Bay’s “Not-So” Secret Weapon

James Starks 2010 Topps

James Starks has been plagued by injury dating back to his junior year at the University of Buffalo. He sat on the bench all of his senior year due to a nagging torn shoulder and yet still managed to get signed by the Packers. His injuries did not end there, as Starks tore a hamstring during rookie mini-camp and ended up on the physically unable to perform list.

His lackluster performance off the bench during the regular season tricked many into thinking that he is another average running back in the NFC North. In his first start in two years, Starks ran for 123 yards in the opening round of the playoffs, after having just 29 carries for 101 yards in three games all season. This unpredicted feat surprised the rest of the league.
His performance is crucial for the Packers on Super Bowl Sunday, as their primary running backs have gone down due to injury throughout the season. If he plays like he has been playing as of late, James Starks will take the pressure off quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has a knack for running the ball well when none of his receivers are open.

If Starks is able to continue his playoff performance, the Packers will have more options on offense, causing the Steelers defense to guard against both the pass and run. Starks’ ability to run the ball well opens up the Packers passing attack, as Rodgers will have more plays to run, thus becoming more unpredictable. His ability also takes the pressure off wide receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, as they will not have to worry about the ball going to them on every play. Balancing the Packers attack will allow them to thrive better as a team, especially on a stage as big as the Super Bowl.

There is no question that James Starks is an effective addition to the Packers. His skills, which were at one point unbeknownst to most of America, have now been the center of focus for the Steelers defense. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has put an extreme emphasis of not allowing Starks to get started early in the game.

Going into the Super Bowl on Sunday, Starks is ready. "It's an amazing feeling being here right now," Starks said. "You watch the Super Bowl all the time growing up, and you sit there and say, 'Man, I could be there someday.' But to be here, to make that a reality, it's just great to be here." Sunday is going to be a big battle for him, but nowhere near as much battling he has done over the past two years to get healthy again.

Bad Throw: Possible Turning Point of Super Bowl XLV

The turning point of the Super Bowl resulted from a bad third quarter pass from Steelers’s quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. It was a great play call, but was not executed well. Roethlisberger faked a handoff and was given enough time to make an accurate throw. Instead of helping the Steelers take the lead, he overthrew the pass to Mike Wallace. With the time he had and the ability of Wallace, it should have been a touchdown.

After the missed pass, Roethlisberger was sacked few plays later. They were forced to attempt a 52-yard field goal which missed wide left. The Steelers were gaining momentum prior to the play and lost the chance to the gain lead. The Steelers lost by five points, thus, the touchdown would have put the Steelers over the Packers.

Turning Point of Super Bowl XLV: Packers' Last Stand

Tramon Williams / Yunggunn2k3 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Packers came out strong, dominating the first half. Then the Steelers picked up and really threatened the Packers, as they were able to cut the lead to four points. At this point all the momentum rested on the Steelers’ shoulders, leaving Packers fans worried that they might face the ultimate heartbreak. The one play that shifted all the momentum back to the Packers was a fourth down stop. It came with less than two minutes left in the game, Steelers down by six, and Ben Roethlisberger in control.

This situation is very familiar to Roethlisberger, because he was in it two years before. In Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were down 27-23 with less than one minute left in the game. He was able to complete five passes in eight plays, which led to Holmes catching a six-yard pass for a touchdown. The Steelers won because of Ben’s quarterback vision, and his ability to perform well under pressure.

The Packers needed to force a turnover on fourth down at the Pittsburgh 33 yard line to ensure that history wouldn’t repeat itself, and they did. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers called to run a zone-blitz. "We ran fire zones those last two calls and fire zones are actually going to pass the inside receivers [from one underneath defender to another] and hopefully you don't give Ben enough time to sit there and let the routes develop," Capers said. Tramon Williams made the stop on Mike Wallace, securing the win for Green Bay. "My job is to stop the guy from catching the ball and that is pretty much what happened," Williams said.

Turning Point: Nick Collins Interception

Nick Collins / Paul Cutler (Wikimedia Commons)

The turning point of the Super Bowl was the Nick Collins interception return for a touchdown. This was the turning point because it came immediately after the Packers had taken a 7-0 lead. The play extended the lead to 14-0 and put the Steelers on an uphill climb for the remainder of the game.


Coming back from a blow like that is difficult in any game, but in the Super Bowl it is even more challenging. No team has ever come back from more then 10 points to win a Super Bowl, and the Steelers were found themselves down 14 in the first quarter. Additionally, there has never been team has ever won the Super Bowl after they gave up an interception return for a touchdown.


Although the Steelers did make a second half comeback and cut the lead to three, they were never able to dig themselves out from their early turnovers.

Stealing A Steeler's Spotlight

Rashard Mendenhall / Tom Cool (Wikimedia Commons)

When it comes to the Super Bowl, the defensive line dominates the majority of Pittsburgh Steeler conversations. The media is ignoring the efforts of Rashard Mendenhall, running back for Steelers. It’s Mendenhall that is ranked No. 7 in the NFL in rushing with 1,273 yards, which accounted for 75% of the total rushing yards for the Steelers.

Mendenhall became the first running back drafted in the first round by the team since Tim Worley in 1989. Mendenhall’s pro career includes fours played as a rookie and one game as a starter before his rookie season fell short. The season ended short however due to shoulder injury playing against Baltimore Ravens. This may be a reason for his lack of media attention due to being in the sidelines during 2008 Super Bowl while the Steelers basked in the glory of their win.

This season however, Mendenhall scored 121 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets, ranked third in the NFL in defense. The Steelers running game crushed the Jets defense, which includes 95 of the 166 rushed yards at halftime by Mendenhall. He has been such a big factor that the Steelers averaged 37 rushes per game in the playoffs and only 25.5 passes despite having thrown the ball 55.4 percent of the regular session. It is a mystery how the spotlight is not shining on a player with stat's like these.

Heath Miller: An Important Utility Player

Heath Miller / Steel City Hobbies (Wikimedia Commons)

Heath Miller is a perfect fit for the Pittsburgh’s Steelers. The six-year tight end is an effective part of the team. Miller is one of the best tight ends in team history. His 512 reception yards this season are higher than the tight end league average of 358. Even though the league leader that plays the tight end position has 1448 receiving yards, Miller does more than catching balls. His ability to block and run with the ball increases his value on the field. Miller’s athleticism is evident in his play, as he was a quarterback in high school and switched over to the tight end position in college. Miller is an important player that helped the Steelers to the Super Bowl. In the AFC Championship game against the Jets, he managed to get a key first down for the Steelers and kept the ball out of the Jets hands.

Sports journalist Clifton Brown states that Ben Roethlisberger, “loves throwing to Miller, particularly on third down and in the red zone.” This is for good reason because he can get open when they need a receiver. Miller is only the sixth player in Steelers history to exceed 400 receiving yards in the playoffs. In the last game the Steelers played against the Packers he had a career high 118 yards receiving. The Steelers know they have an outstanding player that can help with key plays when he is needed. Miller is capable to find a hole in the field and will be a tough match up for the Packers.

Is Troy Polamalu The Key For the Steelers to Win the Super Bowl?

Troy Polamalu / Andy (Wikimedia Commons)

The Steelers will need their newly named Defensive Player of the Year to deliver a strong performance in order to beat the Packers in the Super Bowl. Often the Super Bowl has come down to one big play and Troy Polomalu is the biggest play maker on the Pittsburgh defense. According to former teammate Santonio Holmes he is, “The greatest player I’ve played with or even seen in person.”

He will play an even more vital role than usual because of the Packers potent passing attack. Except for Polamalu, the Steelers secondary is one of their weaknesses. This means Polamalu will have a lot of pressure to keep Aaron Rodgers from picking apart the Steelers defense. The Packers rely heavily on their passing to score; therefore, Polamalu’s defense is crucial. These factors are going to make it difficult for the Steelers feared defensive front to make a difference.

Although Polamalu has been a star for many years, he has not had a large impact in his past two Super Bowl appearances, recording a combined eight tackles and zero interceptions. In fact, to many fans, his most memorable Super Bowl moment was his appearance in the reenactment of the famous “Mean Joe” Greene Coca Cola commercial.

Therefore, to slow down the Packers offense, the Steelers are going to need Polamalu to step up and put a stop to the Packers attack.

The One and a Half-Trick Pony

Mike Wallace / Mike Rhoads (Wikimedia Commons)

Mike Wallace, standout wide receiver on the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a valuable asset to the team, and his performance could greatly affect the outcome of this year's Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. He is only in his second year as a pro, but he is already a big part of the plan. He doesn’t get much attention from the quarterback, but when he does, it is deadly.
In the second round playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, the speed demon had only three receptions, but it came with a touchdown and a whopping 105 yards. However, he was labeled as a “one-trick pony” in a Pro Football Weekly interview by head coach Mike Tomlin. As a rookie, Wallace did not know how to use his speed effectively. All he did was use it to break away in the open field.

Wallace admits that he is not content with the title and stated, “I’ve scored touchdowns and made plays in all types of different ways, every week when he said it, (but) he still gives me the same name, and I don’t think it's going to change until at least next year." After that, Coach Tomlin gave him the label “one and a half trick pony,” according to a Kansas City Star article. Wallace said, “Well, I guess it means I’m getting better to go to one and a half. You got to start from somewhere.” Wallace has high hopes for his future and continues to get better. This upcoming Super Bowl, he may just pull another trick out of his hat.

Turning Point: Mendenhall Fumbles

The turning point of the game was when Rashard Mendenhall fumbled. This caused the Pittsburgh Steeler to lose a possible touchdown and gain the lead in the process. The Packers scored a touchdown which made the Steelers need two touchdowns to win the game. Even with Mike Wallace’s touchdown that cut the Packers lead to three points, Mason Crosby’s field goal at 2:07 furthered the Packers lead to 31-25. Although the Steelers did score a touchdown after the Packers touchdown to close the gap to one touchdown, there was not enough time left in the remainder of the match to tie the game or take the lead One touchdown would only tie the game and wit less than 2 minutes remaining, this caused great pressure for the Steelers as the last drive determined their lose or victory.

Can Emmanuel Sanders “Answer the Bell”?

Rookie Emmanuel Sanders' consistency might be the reason why he will be a key factor for the Steelers during the Super Bowl this Sunday. Sanders is not the Steelers first option, but when called upon he answers by always catching the ball.

This season he caught 28 passes for 376 yards and he also returned 25 kickoffs. These attributes will be useful against the Green Bay Packers, whose special teams unit was ranked 31st in the league.

Although he is not Ben Roethlisberger’s first option, he is considered a playmaker. Roethlisberger commented on Sanders’s role in a recent interview. “We are not calling Sanders every single play. It’s when we call him he answers the bell.” His clutch type play will give him lots of opportunities during the Super Bowl.

Sam Shields: Undrafted to Potential Super Bowl Star

Sam Shields 2010 Bowman

Over the last year Sam Shields has transformed himself from an afterthought in the NFL draft to being the starting nickleback for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV and a budding star in the league. After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, Sam Shields signed with the Packers after an unremarkable collegiate career at the University of Miami.

Going into Packers training camp Shields didn’t figure into the Packers’ plan, but after an interception on the first day of training camp and impressing coaches throughout training camp he earned a spot on the team. He made his presence known on an acrobatic week 10 interception while guarding the Cowboys Miles Austin, one of the elite receivers in the NFL. Shields also proved to be a useful kick returner for the Packers averaging a solid 21.5 yards per return. He played at a respectable level during the season but he has reached a new level of play in the playoffs.

In the first two playoff games Shields played a vital role in containing the Eagles and Falcons explosive group of wide receivers. Shields then burst onto the national stage in the NFC championship game recording a pair of interceptions and his first career sack. His two interceptions made him the first rookie in NFL history to do so in a league championship game.

Looking ahead to the Super Bowl Shields is going to be a major factor in containing the high powered Steelers offense. The Packers will likely use Shields’ speed and athleticism to match up with Pittsburgh's big play receiving core including Mike Wallace who led the league in receptions of 40 or more yards. Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to extend plays is going to test the Packers secondary and Shields’ speed will be a great asset to help cover the recievers downfield.

Former Packer Leroy Butler claims that Shields is a key to their defense “If Shields is covering well, that defense is impenetrable,” Butler remarked. Shields is primed to be a difference maker in the Super Bowl and has one last chance to show all the teams what they passed on during the draft.