Celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and being a journalist has its challenges. Not everyone understands my mission or my motives, but every column I write and every report I do, I’m pushing the vehicle and driving home Dr. King’s message. I take great pride in that every day.
I once walked with Dr. King through Cicero, Illinois on the far west side of Chicago as a child in the late 1960s. My parents were born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. They wanted me to experience Dr. Kings’ legacy, and we did by marching with him. In many ways, he marches with me every day. I am forever grateful.
I have taken the MSR brand all over the United States. Next week I will cover my 39th Super Bowl, this one in Atlanta, and returning to Dr. King’s birthplace is something I never take for granted.
We know now that Los Angeles and New England will slug it out in Super Bowl LIII. This is the 11th Super Bowl for the Patriots organization, the most in NFL history for a single team. This will be the fourth appearance for the Rams, two while being in St. Louis and now two in Los Angeles.
Last week I told you that the AFC and NFC Championship games were the NFL’s Fantastic Four. I rest my case — never has the NFL had two championship games on the same day both go to overtime. When I hitched my wagon to the NFL in 1978 as a journalist, I knew then I was challenging myself to cover the number-one game in sports.
The New Orleans Saints’ overtime loss Sunday on a blown call by an NFL official was painful and frustrating; it opens your mind to question how that can happen. How does a referee, one of the best, blow such a blatant and obvious interference and roughing call on the same play? I believe in conspiracies. It’s a part of my nature.
I am so looking forward to covering Super Bowl LIII. The NFL’s Pro Bowl game gets underway this week in Orlando, Florida. The Vikings are represented by Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com or visit Larry-Fitzgerald.com.