Easily the most gratifying thing about this year's Super Bowl was seeing Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy add "Super Bowl champion" to his resume. Quarterback Peyton Manning may have secured his status as one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks by guiding his team to victory on the field, but Dungy seems to be one of the greatest persons to coach a team to a world title.
With a reputation for impeccable character, Dungy has proven that nice guys can finish first. According to all reports, he has earned the allegiance of his players not through bursts of testosterone-laden curse words and threats, but by taking genuine interest in their lives-on and off the football field. Following the suicide of his son in late 2005, Dungy modeled the stability that is possible in the darkest moments of life because of faith in God.
Dungy is a fresh breeze in a time when the atmosphere surrounding professional sports feels increasingly stagnant. Let it blow. -DR
