The (Belated) Odd Stat of the Week

Issue: So, you do realize you didn't have an Odd Stat of the Week last week, huh?

Short Answer: I was torn...

Reasoning: You may have noticed some changes to Uncommonly Sports recently.  Last week I added a Facebook "Like" box to the page (after a bout with attempting to make a Facebook "fan" page, but instead making a "group" page and causing all sorts of people to receive e-mails they never signed up for and possibly forever losing them as loyal readers - thanks to Facebook, for that humbling experience); and I also added "labels" in the right-hand column, which give the reader folders full of posts with like content.  And I noticed an abnormality - 16 NFL posts.  The next closest is college football, with 8.  Granted, when I started this blog football was in full-swing, and it only makes sense that I would write about it the most.  So, last week I came upon a few "stats" that I thought were worthy of the "Odd Stat of the Week" moniker.  One of them NFL, one of them college basketball.  Since the NFL has completed its season, I thought I should do the college basketball post.  And then, I thought, screw it.  One more NFL post won't hurt anyone (I hope).

There have been a plethora of game-changing plays in Super Bowl history.  Who can forget (Super Bowl number in parentheses) Lynn Swann's juggling catch against the Cowboys (X), or Marcus Allen's 74-yard touchdown run against the Redskins (XVIII), or David Tyree's impossible catch against his helmet to take down the undefeated (almost) Patriots (XLII), or Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give Brett Farve his only Super Bowl victory (XXXI), or John Riggins shredding the Dolphins defense, on a 4th-and-1, for a 43-yard touchdown (XVII), or Joe Montana's touchdown pass to John Taylor with under a minute to go against the Bengals (XXIII - curse you Barney Bussey!), or Santonio Holmes' amazing catch and tap-both-feet-down-in-the-corner-of-the-endzone against the Cardinals (XLIII), or John Elway getting spun around like a top but still picking up the 1st down, leading his Brocos over the Packers (XXXII)?  But, none of these plays were as game-changing as the good old, run-of-the-mill (if that's possible) pick-to-the-house.

See, in Super Bowl history, teams that have had an interception return for a touchdown, are now 11-0.  In fact, the last three Super Bowl winners have had one - Nick Collins for the Packers this year, Tracy Porter for the Saints last year, and James Harrison's 100-yarder against the Cardinals the year before.  Basically, you can take all of your fancy catches, tough runs, great tackles, pressure-packed field goals, and, chuck them out the window.  Forget everything.  Teams should take the entire two weeks before the Super Bowl and work on intercepting footballs and then finding a member of the other team to put on the ground.  Invent a new defense that contains 8 defensive backs, where all players are going for that decisive pick-six.  Alright, maybe not.  The stat does make sense, as an interception for a touchdown is a momentum-shifter and a morale-crusher.  But, you would think one team, somewhere in 45 Super Bowls, would do it in a losing effort.  I have no doubt that if the Bengals ever get back to the Super Bowl, they will be the first to accomplish this feat.