Past Super Bowl Heroes

Stanley Wilson now studies his playbook in jail. This is a cautionary tale for all Colts and Bears. And an absolute nightmare scenario for fans of those teams. Though, as a Bears fan myself, I wouldn't mind being able to look back and refer to Peyton Manning as "that old coke head who fucked over his team" several years from now. Hey, a win is a win. Honestly though, I can identify much more with Stanley Wilson than someone like Peyton Manning.

Ask yourself this. Would you rather be(or are you more likely to be):

A) The nerdy sellout, kiss ass, who does everything he should and does it by the book for an overbearing parent, while romancing a cheesy country music star.

or

B) The guy who got so historically fucked up that he sickened an entire city and tainted the biggest sports and entertainment event on earth.

It's really a no brainer. I make light, but this even makes me feel bad for the people involved. What's that called - empathy? Interesting, not sure if I like it.

It was just before 8 the night before Cincinnati was to play the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII, when the Bengals fullback walked down a hall in the team's hotel and made a U-turn back to his personal hell.

“I forgot my playbook,” Wilson told several teammates. “I'll meet you guys downstairs.”

As the Bengals gathered for their last meeting before the game, head coach Sam Wyche took a head count. Players were responsible for their roommates. Wilson's roommate was wide receiver Eddie Brown.

“Stanley went back for his playbook,” Brown said. “He'll be right down.”

“We'll wait,” Wyche said.....

The Bengals waited for Stanley Wilson.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen.

Wyche left the meeting room. He returned a few minutes later. His eyes were red and brimming wet. “Stanley has had a relapse,” he said.

Boomer Esiason remembers thinking, “Is this another of Sam's motivational stunts? With Sam, you couldn't be sure. He was always doing that stuff.”

Not this time. “Sam broke up crying so hard, he had to leave the room,” Esiason recalls.

“Come back in 10 minutes, when I can compose myself,” Wyche said.