Out of near-total boredom, a masterpiece broke out.
That was Super Bowl XXIII, the last time the Cincinnati Bengals participated in The Big One.
And for former New Mexico State Aggie Leo Barker, a Bengals nickel linebacker and a participating eyewitness to the late-game San Francisco 49ers artistry of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, the portrait was less beautiful than painful.
Back when newspapers had money, the Albuquerque Journal – in the person of me – covered Super Bowls XVII through XXIV. Direct New Mexico connections were relatively few, and as SB XXIII in Miami approached, I’d looked forward to talking with Barker.