NFL
By: Zachary Draves
There wasn’t anything that Tina Turner couldn’t do.
She lived up to the title of the “Queen of Rock N Roll” to perfection with her resolve, resilience, and radiance.
Her life’s journey was nothing short of incredible.
(Courtesy: Tim Mosenfelder/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Emerging out of Nutbush, Tennessee, experiencing the trauma of Jim Crow, coming out of the horrific abuse at the hands of her first husband Ike Turner, and reinventing herself in her forties to become one of the most captivating and inspiring entertainers of all time, she was the icon of icons. She was the voice for so many who had been through hard times and an example of how it was never too late to pursue your dreams.
Mega hits such as “Proud Mary”, “Simply the Best”, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” encapsulated a powerful black woman who was in control of her destiny and never relented.
That ageless energy and pure joy of being alive in the moment carried her through her precious eighty three years. Those tangibles made her the right person to open Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 in New Orleans.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
Before the matchup between the St. Louis Rams and her hometown Tennessee Titans, Tina put on a thrilling pre-game performance as part of the NFL’s “The Great American Music of the 20th Century” theme that was in celebration of the new millennium. She was joined alongside country music star Travis Tritt, the Georgia Mass Choir, and the Georgia Tech Marching Band.
(Courtesy: Youtube)
Tina was in great company as that evening featured a who’s who of musical dynamism. Faith Hill put on a stirring rendition of the national anthem. The Disney themed halftime show featured Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, and Enrique Iglesias.
A fusion of all different elements of music which Tina herself mastered along with how to perform live. If anything, it was because of people like her that made performing at the Super Bowl a must see event given the excitement and crowd sizes she always brought to her live shows.
The game itself ended up being a classic and is best known for what became referred to as “One Yard Short”.
It all came down to the Titans trailing 23-16 and driving the ball all the way down the field. The Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson was one yard away from scoring a game tying touchdown, but he was stopped by Rams linebacker Mike Jones in the final seconds, giving the Rams the Super Bowl.
(Courtesy: John Gaps III/Associated Press)
The excitement and thrills that Tina gave on stage translated to the game. Although her team lost in dramatic fashion, it had all the elements of rock and roll and was one for the ages.
Ironically, Tina also shared a commonality with the other side.
Kurt Warner became the Rams starting quarterback at the age of 28, which is late in football years. Prior to that, he was working at a grocery store stocking shelves and had some stents in arena football and NFL Europe.
He came from that to facilitate an explosive Rams offense that became known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” and becoming both the league and Super Bowl MVP. Another late bloomer proving that age is nothing but a number when it comes to talent and poise.
In light of her passing, the Titans posted a picture on Twitter of Tina smiling with the late Titans quarterback Steve McNair. The image provoked emotional reactions on social media as they were two of Tennessee’s’ greatest success stories.
R.I.P. to the Queen of Rock & Roll and Tennessee native, Tina Turner. Simply the Best. 💙 pic.twitter.com/6Xs9yofZDL
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 24, 2023
So it is safe to say that there was a little bit of Tina everywhere in the Superdome that night.
In sports there is an old adage about getting back up when you get knocked down. That philosophy is how to best describe the legacy of Tina Turner.
Whenever life got her down she came back up, fought her way through, and she won. That is why she is and will always be simply the best, better than all the rest.
