ANOTHER SHULA MAKING HISTORY

As kids, Mike and his brother, David, would ride their bicycles to our practice field after school.  They wanted to be with their dad and that’s where he, basically, lived during the season.  They also liked being around the team and were a big part of our football family.  They charted the plays we’d run during practice and learned that talent was, of course, important but brains, perfect execution, teamwork and heart won more games.

David was older, more outspoken and reminded me of his dad – intense and quick to see and vocalize mistakes.  Mike was younger, the quiet one trying to put together the perfect plan.  David was the outspoken motivator.  Mike was the strategist.   As a young kid, he didn’t say much but he knew what was going on.  I’m sure some things have changed and maybe Mike isn’t so quiet anymore (evidenced, I think, by Cam Newton’s occasional rush to discard his helmet with Mike’s voice in his ear!) but this is what I remember of them as kids on the practice field.  I’m not at all surprised by Mike’s tremendous success as an offensive coordinator.

There is a tendency, when you have the talent (size, speed, toughness) to depend on yourself more than the team.  I see this with Cam Newton.  This could become the Achilles heel for Carolina.  He’s had tremendous success over the season.  That’s a fact.  But it occurs to me that perhaps a totally different approach in the Super Bowl could throw the Denver defense a real curve.  Less celebration and more teamwork should be Cam’s focus, in my opinion.  Let the receivers and the running backs perform in the clutch.  And no unnecessary acrobatics at the end zone…more team concept.  Cam should set an example for his team and hold celebration of TD’s to a minimum early in the game.  Don’t feed the Denver defense fuel for their fire!

Carolina has never been to a Super Bowl and Cam Newton has never experienced the media spotlight like he will in the final days before kickoff.  Can he keep his mind on the game??  We’ll see.  A quick, easy score early on could spell doom for Carolina.  I’ve seen it happen a number of times over the years.  The team who scores early without much effort becomes too confident and ends up fighting for their lives in the 4^th quarter.

Remember Atlanta?