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Holy salkow, Batman, Miki’s back! Yes, Japan’s very own Babe on Ice, Miki Ando, roared back to form in the opening event of the Grand Prix figure skating series, not only winning October’s Skate America competition in Connecticut, but overshadowing younger teen star Mao Asada, everybody’s current tip for greatness. Ando, of course, was panned after finishing a disappointing 15th at the Turin Olympics, but she’s lost a bit of chunkiness and taken her skating to a higher level; maybe now she will start to fulfill her promise. Next up on the calendar is the NHK Trophy from November 30 to December 3 in Nagano. Japan’s women skaters are hot right now. Catch them while you can. FV See sports listings for details.
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By Fred Varcoe
NFL tokyo 2005
Two of football’s most exciting players will air it
out in Tokyo
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| Photos Courtesy of NFL
Japan |
While European soccer teams have capitalized in the last
few years on the recent popularity of their sport in Japan,
the NFL has been in on the game here for a little bit longer.
This year marks the 12th American Bowl in Japan, a series
that started in 1989 when the L.A. Rams beat the Super Bowl
champion San Francisco 49ers. On that occasion, Japan’s
NFL fans had the pleasure of witnessing legendary 49er quarterback
Joe Montana, and since then, they’ve been able to see
the likes of John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon and many
other stars.
The American Bowl, put on in conjunction with the NFL, is
a full-on preseason match for the teams involved. This isn’t
just a merchandising exercise, as can be witnessed by the
fact that this year sees the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta
Falcons, who will be traveling with their star quarterbacks
Peyton Manning and Michael Vick.
Even non-football fans will prick up their ears at this one.
Why? Because last season, the Colts’ Manning broke one
of the NFL’s most prized records when he threw for 49
touchdowns, eclipsing the mark of 48 set by Miami Dolphins
legend Marino in 1984. On top of that, his single-season quarterback
rating of 121.1 topped the previous best of 112.8, by the
49ers Steve Young in 1994. Other Manning records include throwing
four touchdowns or more in five consecutive games; throwing
five touchdown passes in four different games in less than
12 months (a record previously held by Marino); becoming the
only NFL player to pass for 4,000 yards in six consecutive
seasons and for 20 touchdowns in seven consecutive seasons;
and, together with wide receiver Marvin Harrison, having the
most completions by a quarterback/receiver duo in the history
of the NFL—over 700 and counting.
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Not surprisingly, Manning is also the highest-paid player
ever in the NFL, signing a seven-year, $99.2 million deal
last year. He has started every game of his NFL career and
has missed only one snap because of injury. He was NFL co-MVP
(with Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans) in 2003, was the
Associated Press MVP for 2004, the NFL Offensive Player of
the Year for 2004, and this year’s Pro Bowl MVP.
However, for all his superlatives and record-breaking, Manning
has yet to drag the rest of his team to Super Bowl success.
“Manning is one of the best passers in football, or even
in history, but he carries a reputation that he’s no
good in the big games,” says NFL writer and TV commentator
Hiroshi Ikezawa. “He could end up being another Dan Marino—a
legendary quarterback with all the passing records but no
Super Bowl ring.” Ikezawa notes that Manning and Vick
are the first marquee quarterbacks to come to Japan since
Troy Aikman in 2000, and the fact that they will be appearing
together is a real bonus for NFL Tokyo.
While Manning is the master of the touchdown pass, Vick has
carved out his own territory as one of the NFL’s most
exciting QBs. He’s an all-arounder who last year rushed
for 902 yards, an astonishing figure for a quarterback. Where
Manning impresses, Vick inspires, and the Falcons are reckoned
to be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.
After dumping former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves in 2003,
the team was led to an 11-5 season in 2004 by new head coach
Jim Mora Jr., but missed out on the Super Bowl after losing
to the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in the NFC Championship game.
Both teams will be hoping for another shot at glory in 2005,
and it might just start here as two strong squads, led by
two of the NFL’s star quarterbacks, go head-to-head in
NFL Tokyo 2005.
NFL Tokyo 2005 takes place Aug 6
at Tokyo Dome. See sports listings for details.
Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter
to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
Discuss sports
with METROPOLIS readers at http://forum.japantoday.com
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