Josh Q. Public: I used to watch Dr. J, come through in the clutch. Remember New Zoo Review, and Starsky and Hutch. I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud. Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd. -Coolio
Public Service Announcement: OK, here we go! Like my main Nas always says: “I’m takin’ y’all on a trip straight through memory lane.” Here comes the Super Bowl. It’s coming fast. It’s coming furious. Dominic Toretto has nothing on this game. Who’s gonna be the star? That’s what we want to know. Who’s gonna be the star? Who’s gets themselves the big cigar? Who gets all the cookies in the cookie jar? That’s what we want to to know. Everybody from here to Qatar. Is it going to be Devin Hester, the very bester? Are you planning on Peyton Manning? Who’s gonna come up big in the big game? Who’s gonna stand tall in the superest of them all. I’ll tell you one guy who came up biggo. A man they called Riggo. What you don’t like that rhyme? Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You’re too tight.
You remember John Riggins. You remember him at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of rushing records at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of Gale Sayers’ rushing records at Kansas. You remember he played for the Jets. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Had that Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. That Travis Bickle Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. You remember he signed with the Skins. Signed with the Skins and then voluntarily sat out one year. Came back. Came back with a vengeance. The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back. Not a flashy running back. Think lunchpail. No Barry Sanders, he. But he was a classic workhorse ball carrier. A Clydesdale. A beast. One of the the toughest summama####es to ever put on cleats. He carried 2,916 times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career. He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 TDs. His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever. So are his 116 total touchdowns. He was the second player ever to run to the hizzy over 100 times in NFL histizzy. The first to do it since Jim Brown All American did it in 1965. But where he excelled. Where he excelled where others have failed, was gaining the tough yardage in the big games.
The original Diesel came up big in 1982. Yesterday was the anniversary. Today's the day I talk about it. Came up super. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII versus the Dolphins. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown along with a 15-yard reception. A record breaking 38 carries. Against the Miami’s vaunted No. 1-rated defense. And that’s such a small part of the story.
Fourth quarter. Ten Minutes to go. Skins down four. Fourth and a Lilliputian. Theisman. (Used to be pronounced Thees-man.) Theisman hands off to Riggo. Riggo heads left. Here comes cornerback Don McNeal. Steamroller baby, steamroller. There goes Riggo. There goes Riggo down the sideline. You've seen the highlights. Riggo at the thirty. Riggo at the 20. Glenn Blackwood in hot pursuit. Not to be confused with brother, Lyle. Yes, I’m running down the railway track. Could you help me? Police on my back. They will catch me, if I dare drop back. Wont you give me all the speed I lack? He…could…go… He does. Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Redskins win! It was longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. If you were from DC, it was the biggest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. No other back had ever run for 100 yards or more in four straight playoff games. No other back has gained more than 158 yards in a Super Bowl. No other back had ever run for 610 yards in four playoff games. Nobody came up as biggo. As biggo as Riggo.
Any mention of the Riggo has to include the fact that he lived outta his van down by the [Potomac] river…Random sightings of the Diesel, face down on the bar at Nathan’s in G-town in the middle of the day.…Yep, they don’t make em “old-school” like dat anymore…
Josh Q. Public: You telling lies thinking I can’t see. You don’t cry ’cause you’re laughing at me. I’m down (I’m really down). I’m down (Down on the ground). I’m down (I’m really down). How can you laugh, when you know I’m down? (How can you laugh) When you know I’m down? -Beatles
Public Service Announcement: Oh boy, here we go. I’m not happy about this one. It’s no fun writing this one. I never thought I’d be doing this one. But here we are. Here we are. Back to life, back to reality. Soul II Soul style. Back to life, back from a fantasy. How did this ever happen? How did we get here? This is not my beautiful house. This is not my beautiful wife. I know. I know. I’m stalling. I just don’t want to do this. I don’t want to believe it yet. Don’t want to believe what I saw on my television set. If I were Russian, I’d say nyet. I can’t do this without getting upset. I’d rather write about the monks of Tibet. Ok, ok. Time to rip the Band-Aid off. Let’s do this.
It started off well enough, didn’t it? Started off like gang busters. Here they come, here come the Patriots. They are demons on cleats. Their second drive. Pitch to Crazy Eyes Caldwell. First down! Freeney hurt. That’s what he gets for wearing a Yankees cap. Everything’s coming up roses. Fourth and a pubie. Dillon. See ya! Michael Kay style. We’re moving. We’re grooving. We’re at the Colts 20. At the Colts 20 and knocking at the door. You saw the rest. You saw the fumblerooski. You saw Logan’s run. Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! In your face Flanders! In typical Colts/Pats fashion. I’m already looking forward to the Peyton Manning hang dog press conference. I just can’t wait. This is gonna be great.
Second quarter. Fourth and six. What can Brown do you for you? First down. First down Troy Brown. Corey Dillon. Woop! Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Show me what you got little mama. Show me what you got. Next thing you know, before you can say Ty Law, Assante Samuel. Assante Samuel pick. Assante Samuel pick straight back to the hizzy. I’m getting dizzy. Booyakasha! Sending out those texts. Do you smell what the Pats are cookin’? Up eighteen. I knew it. I just friggin knew it. Suck it Sean Salisbury. Suck it Tom Jackson. Suck it Michael Irvin. Suck it Jaws. Suck it Meril Hodge. Suck it all ya’all. No way these Colts are winning. No how brown cow. No way Jose. We’ll be dancing in the streets once again. Huzzah!
The beginning of the end. 80 yard drive. 80 yard drive and a FG to end the half. Manning looks sharp. Manning looks tough. Manning looks rough. Manning looks like he’s playing in the regular season. Ruh-roh Reorge. The Manning juggernaut continues into the second half. The Colts piled on 455 yards. The Colts scored on six of their final eight drives. The Colts ran roughshod all over the Patriots vaunted defense. Sure Crazy Eyes dropped some balls. Dropped some big balls. Dropped the biggest balls of them all. But when all was said and done. When all was said and done, the Patriots bend don’t break defense bent. When all was said and done, the Patriots bend don’t break defense broke. Still, through it all, I never thought the season was in jeopardy. Double jeopardy. Our love’s in jeopardy, baby. I really didn’t. I was wrong. Even down four with fifty-four seconds left, I still thought we had it. Even down four with fifty-four seconds left at our own 20, I still thought the game was ours. I was still a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind. I still thought Tom would be terrific. I still thought Tom would pierce his dagger into the hearts of the Colts like he has done time and time again. He didn’t. He marched his team to the Colts’ 40. He gave us hope. He threw an interception to Marlin Jackson with 16 seconds left. He set off an eruption in the RCA Dome. Colts win! Colts win! I still haven’t watched Sports Center. I still haven’t read the paper. I still haven’t listened to the Fan. I still don’t want to see the proof. But it’s there. It’s in the pudding. It’s in Peyton’s pudding. When do pitchers and catchers report?
josh q. public. For the public, by The Public. Irreverent sports opinion from a Bostonian in New York. The one blog to read, when you’re reading more than one. Good to the last drop!
bester? Are you planning on Peyton Manning? Who’s gonna come up big in the big game? Who’s gonna stand tall in the superest of them all. I’ll tell you one guy who came up biggo. A man they called Riggo. What you don’t like that rhyme? Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You’re too tight.
rushing records at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of Gale Sayers’ rushing records at Kansas. You remember he played for the Jets. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Had that Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. That Travis Bickle Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. You remember he signed with the Skins. Signed with the Skins and then voluntarily sat out one year. Came back. Came back with a vengeance. The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back. Not a flashy running back. Think lunchpail. No Barry Sanders, he. But he was a classic workhorse ball carrier. A Clydesdale. A beast. One of the the toughest summama
times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career. He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 TDs. His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever. So are his 116 total touchdowns. He was the second player ever to run to the hizzy over 100 times in NFL histizzy. The first to do it since Jim Brown All American did it in 1965. But where he excelled. Where he excelled where others have failed, was gaining the tough yardage in the big games.
Bowl XVII. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII versus the Dolphins. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown along with a 15-yard reception. A record breaking 38 carries. Against the Miami’s vaunted No. 1-rated defense. And that’s such a small part of the story. 
Fourth quarter. Ten Minutes to go. Skins down four. Fourth and a Lilliputian. Theisman. (Used to be pronounced Thees-man.) Theisman hands off to Riggo. Riggo heads left. Here comes cornerback Don McNeal. Steamroller baby, steamroller. There goes Riggo. There goes Riggo down the sideline. You've seen the highlights. Riggo at the thirty. Riggo at the 20. Glenn Blackwood in hot pursuit. Not to be confused with brother, Lyle. Yes, I’m running down the railway track. Could you help me? Police on my back. They will catch me, if I dare drop back. Wont you give me all the speed I lack? He…could…go… He does. Touchdown! 
Touchdown! Touchdown! Redskins win! It was longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. If you were from DC, it was the biggest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. No other back had ever run for 100 yards or more in four straight playoff games. No other back has gained more than 158 yards in a Super Bowl. No other back had ever run for 610 yards in four playoff games. Nobody came up as biggo. As biggo as Riggo.
It started off well enough, didn’t it? Started off like gang busters. Here they come, here come the Patriots. They are demons on cleats. Their second drive. Pitch to Crazy Eyes Caldwell. First down! Freeney hurt. That’s what he gets for wearing a Yankees cap. Everything’s coming up roses. Fourth and a pubie. Dillon. See ya! Michael Kay style. We’re moving. We’re grooving. We’re at the Colts 20. At the Colts 20 and knocking at the door. You saw the rest. You saw the fumblerooski. You saw Logan’s run. Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! In your face Flanders! In typical Colts/Pats fashion. I’m already looking forward to the Peyton Manning hang dog press conference. I just can’t wait. This is gonna be great. 
First down Troy Brown. Corey Dillon. Woop! Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Show me what you got little mama. Show me what you got. Next thing you know, before you can say Ty Law, Assante Samuel. Assante Samuel pick. Assante Samuel pick straight back to the hizzy. I’m getting dizzy. Booyakasha! Sending out those texts. Do you smell what the Pats are cookin’? Up eighteen. I knew it. I just friggin knew it. Suck it Sean Salisbury. Suck it Tom Jackson. Suck it Michael Irvin. Suck it Jaws. Suck it Meril Hodge. Suck it all ya’all. No way these Colts are winning. No how brown cow. No way Jose. We’ll be dancing in the streets once again. Huzzah!
The beginning of the end. 80 yard drive. 80 yard drive and a FG to end the half. Manning looks sharp. Manning looks tough. Manning looks rough. Manning looks like he’s playing in the regular season. Ruh-roh Reorge. The Manning juggernaut continues into the second half. The Colts piled on 455 yards. The Colts scored on six of their final eight drives. The Colts ran roughshod all over the Patriots vaunted defense. Sure Crazy Eyes dropped some balls. Dropped some big balls. 
Dropped the biggest balls of them all. But when all was said and done. When all was said and done, the Patriots bend don’t break defense bent. When all was said and done, the Patriots bend don’t break defense broke. Still, through it all, I never thought the season was in jeopardy. Double jeopardy. Our love’s in jeopardy, baby. I really didn’t. I was wrong. Even down four with fifty-four seconds left, I still thought we had it. Even down four with fifty-four seconds left at our own 20, I still thought the game was ours. I was still a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind. I still thought Tom would be terrific. I still thought Tom would pierce his dagger into the hearts of the Colts like 
he has done time and time again. He didn’t. He marched his team to the Colts’ 40. He gave us hope. He threw an interception to Marlin Jackson with 16 seconds left. He set off an eruption in the RCA Dome. Colts win! Colts win! I still haven’t watched Sports Center. I still haven’t read the paper. I still haven’t listened to the Fan. I still don’t want to see the proof. But it’s there. It’s in the pudding. It’s in Peyton’s pudding. When do pitchers and catchers report?
