Give the guy a break: Why we still love Cundiff

During the next mid-
term period, take a good
look around campus. Be-
sides the fact that it looks
like a zombie apocalypse
has just swept across cam-
pus - with all of those
bulging red eyes and mo-
notonous gaits - a lot can
be learned from observing
each student.
Many are filled with
disappointment,
regret
and anxiety. It is not un-
common to hear, 'Damn,
how did I miss that ques-
tion?' or 'Man, my parents
are going to be pissed!'
Here at Hopkins, we
have all done well enough
in our pasts in order to
gain admission to one of
America's most esteemed
institutions. This would
entail answering thou-
sands and thousands of
different questions cor-
rectly throughout the
years. This includes tests,
quizzes,
pop-quizzes,
standardized tests, spell-
ing bees, mathletics and
more (insert tormented
middle school experience
here).
Despite all of our prior
experience, however, we all
slip up one time or another
and miss those "gimme"
questions on an exam. We
are not immune to miss-
ing a question every now
and again that our second
grade selves would have
certainly gotten. It is often
referred to as a brain fart,
and we are all victims.
Nothing stings as bad
as missing those questions,
and we constantly beat
ourselves up over them.
Now imagine missing
wide left on a 32-yard field
goal to put your team into
the Super Bowl. Instead of
just disappointing your-
self, and possibly your par-
ents, as with a test ques-
tion, now you would have
let down your friends,
your teammates and your
coaches - nonetheless in
a television event that re-
ceived one of the highest
viewership ratings since
last year's Super Bowl.
Not to mention, you
have let down your entire
city - suffering from eco-
nomic despair, elevated
rates of crime and a high
rate of unemployment -
that looks at football as
much more than a sport.
Regardless of the scale,
we have all had experienc-
es that teach us the despair
that Baltimore Ravens
place-kicker Billy Cundiff
must be going through. So
here are three reasons why
we still love Billy and so
should you.
First, Cundiff has had
two phenomenal regular
seasons for the Ravens
in 2010 and 2011. In 2010,
Cundiff connected on 26 of
29 (89.7 percent) field goals
and even broke an NFL
record at the time with 40
touchbacks on kickoffs. Af-
ter his stellar season, Cun-
diff was honored with an
AFC Pro Bowl selection.
He then returned to
have another strong sea-
son in 2011. With a long
of 51 yards, he connected
on 28 of 37 (75.7 percent).
Cundiff also made some
huge kicks throughout
both the regular and post-
seasons each year, and
it is difficult to tell if the
Ravens would have made
such a deep playoff run in
2011 without these.
But such is the mantra
of a kicker: fail and you
will be the goat, but win
and you will rarely be con-
sidered the hero.
Second, Billy Cundiff
still has a bright future
ahead of him, and many
people within the Ravens'
organization still look to
him as one who can help
them win the big one.
Ever since its instatement
in 1920, the National Foot-
ball League has been filled
with "rags to riches" type
stories that continue in-
spire the public.
Tales like Kurt Warner's,
who went from supermar-
ket bag boy to two-time
Super Bowl MVP, and the
journey of former New
England Patriot place-kick-
er "Automatic" Adam Vina-
tieri, which may relate more
directly towards Cundiff.
After a record break-
ing career at South Dakota
State University, Vinatieri
was disregarded and re-
jected by the NFL, so he
pursued a kicking posi-
tion for the European Foot-
ball League's Amsterdam
Admirals in 1995. After a
season overseas, Vinatieri
signed as an undrafted
free agent to the Patriots,
where he later went on to
arguably become one of the
game's greats, winning an
unprecedented four Super
Bowls (three with the Pa-
triots and one with Colts).
Nobody knows what
the future holds, but we all
hope that the 2012 season
will hold Cundiff's chance
for a comeback into Super
Bowl glory.
Third, with a five-year
15 million dollar contract,
Cundiff falls into the top
taxing bracket within the
city of Baltimore. Outside
of giving back to the com-
munity through football,
Mr. Cundiff provides some
of the highest taxable in-
come to a city in dire need
of security, public educa-
tion and infrastructure.
Though he has no say in
the matter, a small amount
of recognition should be
paid in this respect.
So Mr. Cundiff, if you
are somewhere out there
reading this, just know that
we at the JHU News-Letter,
as well as the Johns Hop-
kins University student
community, have your back
and fully support you.
?